Light-vehicle exports from China slumped abruptly in April, with shipments disrupted by the latest wave of coronavirus outbreaks and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Automakers producing in China exported some 99,000 light vehicles last month, a drop of 15 percent from a year earlier, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said this week.
On the back of robust shipments in the first quarter, vehicle exports from China through April surged 39 percent to around 551,000.
Government lockdown measures and travel restrictions, designed to contain COVID-19 outbreaks, have stymied light-vehicle output and shipments across China for several months now.
After Russia’s military attacked Ukraine in late February, Chinese carmakers suspended shipments to the European countries, according to CAAM.
The suspension will result in a loss of some 100,000 Chinese exports this year, the trade group estimates.
Light-vehicle exports from China have remained robust for years. In 2021, export volume topped 1.6 million vehicles, a 110 percent jump from a year earlier.
