New Auto Pudong show to be held in Shanghai in August

The Pudong International Automotive Exhibition will be held for the first time at the Shanghai New International Expo Center from August 16 to August 20, National Business Daily reported on May 4. The exhibition, which will focus primarily on automobiles, will be held every other year. An estimated 60,000 square meters of space is to be reserved for the show.

The Pudong International Automotive Exhibition is the newest addition to China's extensive auto show line up. Production and sales figures for automobiles in China last year set global records, with both exceeding 18 million units. Shanghai-based enterprises remained strong players in the industry. According to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, SAIC Group sold 4.01 million vehicles last year, growing 12.01 percent from 2010. Its two joint ventures, Shanghai GM and Shanghai VW, managed to sell 1.2 million and 1.15 million vehicles, respectively. The JVs were the top performing and second best performing Chinese automobile manufacturers of 2011. SAIC's total output value last year was 145.4 billion yuan ($22.97b), making it one of the country's most important automotive enterprises.

The show has already gained official approval from the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. It will be jointly hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade's Automotive Industry Committee and the Shanghai and Pudong divisions of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. The Shanghai Pudong International Exhibition Corporation will be responsible for holding the event.