Pickup shipments edge up behind exports, ending slump

With China's nascent pickup market in a slump because of weaker construction and real estate activity, exports have become a bright spot.

Pickup shipments industrywide rose 1 percent to around 42,000 in October after sliding four straight months, the China Passenger Car Association said this week.

The trade group attributed the slight rebound to strong overseas demand. 

Pickup exports from China surged 44 percent to some 12,100 last month, it noted. 

The main overseas markets for China-made pickups are other developing countries as well as Australia and New Zealand. 

In the first ten months, China’s pickup exports advanced 20 percent to top 100,000.

However, with real estate construction losing steam in China, pickup shipments industrywide during the 10-month period dipped two percent to some 419,000, the trade group said. 

Through October, the five largest pickup makers in China by sales were Great Wall Motor Co., JAC Motor Co., Jiangling Motors Group Co., SAIC Maxus Automotive Co. and Zhengzhou Nissan Motor Co. – Nissan Motor Co.’s light-truck partnership with Dongfeng Motor Group. 

During the 10-month period, pickup sales at Great Wall and JAC rose 7 and 12 percent, to 170,007 and 46,372, respectively. 

Volume at Jiangling Motors, SAIC Maxus and Zhengzhou Nissan dropped 19 percent, 16 percent and 7 percent, to 42,809, 41,983 and 31,063, according to the trade group’s tally.

In 2022, as severe lockdowns tied to the COVID-19 pandemic stymied output and economic activity, pickup shipments in China fell 6 percent to roughly 513,000, ending two consecutive years of increases.