CAAM: China's H1 auto sales dip 4% YoY despite surging NEV exports

China's automotive industry remained largely stable in the first half of 2026, with cumulative production and sales logging slight declines compared to the same period last year, according to the latest release by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) on July 9.

Over January-June, China's cumulative auto sales (including exports) and production reached 15.02 million units and 14.99 million units, down by 4.1% and 4% on year respectively, the CAAM data showed. Although the pace of declines slowed slightly from the 4.6% and 4.2% drops seen in January-May, the continued contraction since April still indicated that momentum in China's automotive