Chinese automobile exports in 2012 to total 1m units, official predicts

As growth in the domestic automobile market begins to slow, Chinese manufacturers have been increasingly looking overseas. As early as 2011, Chinese automobile exports begun experiencing double digit growth. As cited by a Beijing Times report appearing today, Lu Sun, assistant head of the Ministry of Commerce's Department of Mechanic, Electronic and Hi-Tech Industry, predicts that Chinese automobile exports this year will total one million units.

Despite the growth in exports, Chinese manufacturers still lag behind well-established foreign companies such as GM, VW and Toyota in the export market. Mr. Lu maintains that there is still a lot of room for exports to grow.

However, he points out that for Chinese exports to grow further, the industry needs to develop more. Currently, domestic manufacturers don't have full multinational supply chain systems for their overseas sales. Mr. Lu cautions that this may prove a stumbling block for manufacturers looking to increase their exports. Substandard aftermarket service for Chinese vehicles in foreign markets is also an issue of concern. Mr. Lu points out that some manufacturers directly give new car buyers a set of spare auto parts to make up for the lack of proper aftermarket service.