China will maintain its leadership in car exports, despite EU duties

China will maintain its leading position among global car exporters in 2025. Despite this, the volume of supplies will significantly decrease due to the introduction of additional duties by the European Union on electric vehicles manufactured in China. 

Europe, as the largest overseas market, remains an important source of revenue for Chinese automakers who seek to minimize the impact of trade barriers by introducing gasoline and hybrid models.

Large companies such as SAIC Motor are expanding their product lines with hybrid technologies. Hua Chuang Securities estimates that Chinese car exports could reach 5.58 million units in 2025, up 14% from a year earlier, but significantly lower than the 29% increase this year and 58% in 2023, when China surpassed Japan.

According to Canalys, Chinese car exports grew by 27% in the first three quarters, reaching 3.1 million units. However, EU duties ranging from 17% to 35.3% will weaken demand for electric vehicles. SAIC Motor already offers hybrid versions of the MG3 and MG ZS models to retain European customers.

In October, the EU imposed new five-year tariffs on Chinese EVs, supplementing the standard 10% tax. They also affect brands such as Volkswagen and BMW, which produce cars in China.