Market slides in early Jan. as COVID cases spike

The Chinese new-vehicle market contracted sharply in the first 15 days of the month as a severe coronavirus outbreak upended auto production and deliveries. 

Wholesale deliveries of passenger vehicles including sedans, crossovers, SUVs and multi-purpose vehicles industrywide fell 20 percent to some 659,000 in the first 15 days of January, the China Automobile Dealers Association said.

Retail sales of passenger vehicles skidded 21 percent to around 719,000 during the same period.

On December 7, Beijing abruptly abandoned its zero-COVID policy known for snap lockdowns, massive testing and strict travel rules. The move quickly triggered an explosion of coronavirus infections across China. 

About 80 percent of China’s population has been infected during the latest wave of the pandemic, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a blog published on social media January 21.