Foreign auto imports to China have slid 1.5% year-on-year in the first three months of 2015
Signs of a slowdown? Image: Mathias Apitz |
Data from the China Automobile Dealers Association shows that car imports to China fell 1.5% to 5.9% from 7.4% in the first quarter of 2014. The Association believes the fall could be due in part to reduced demand for midde to high-end models.
Despite imports decreasing, sales of imported vehicles continue to increase in China, which has also led to a debate around parallel imports (genuine vehicles imported from abroad outside of a licensed distributor and without the permission of the IP owner).
Data from the CADA shows that the sales volume of import cars in licensed dealerships decline by 19.1% year-on-year in January and February, however the registered volume of imported cars declined by just 2.9% during the same period. The 16% gap, the CADA speculate, is made up of grey imports to the region.