China auto sales up 6 pct in August, down 15% ytd
BEIJING, Sept 10, (AP): China’s car sales rose 6% in August over a year earlier as the industry’s biggest market recovered from the coronavirus pandemic, but purchases for the year to date were off more than 15%, an industry group reported Thursday.
Sales of sedans, SUVs and minivans rose to 1.7 million, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Total vehicle sales, including trucks and buses, rose 11.6% to 2.2 million.
Auto sales for the first eight months of the year were down 15.4% at 11.3 million, an improvement from the first half’s 22.4% contraction. Total vehicle sales were down 9.7% at 14.6 million.
Auto demand already was suffering before China shut down factories and dealerships in February to fight the coronavirus. Consumers are uneasy about a slowing economy and a tariff war with Washington.
Last year’s sales fell 9.6%, the second straight annual decline.
That has hurt global automakers that are looking to China to propel sales growth.