For The First Time, More Chinese Vehicles Are Seen In Europe Than China

Imports of Chinese vehicles and parts into the European Union have exceeded exports in the opposite direction for the first time, consultants EY said in a study.

European exports to China fell by 34 percent in 2025, to 16 billion euros. By the way, exports have fallen by more than half since 2020. At the same time, imports from China jumped by eight percent last year, to 22 billion euros.

Thus, the European trade surplus in automobile trade turned into a deficit in a few years.

A similar trend is evident in the bilateral car trade between Germany and China. However, last year, Chinese cars were only in sixth place in terms of import value.

However, German exports fell from a peak in 2022 of around 30 billion to just 13.6 billion last year, while imports of Chinese cars rose by two-thirds to 7.4 billion.

If the trend continues, car trade between China and Germany will reach a breakeven point as early as this year.

EY expert Konstantin Gall said that Chinese manufacturers in Germany face strong competition from domestic brands that have so far successfully defended their market share.

However, in other European markets, Chinese models have penetrated much further.

• Also See: How Do European Manufacturers Combat Chinese Competition?