In the first half of 2026, China exported 325,000 used cars, or US$7.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 61% and 54% respectively. The Circulation Association calls 2026 the first year of real used car exports.

The biggest risk for newcomers entering the game is not the policy, but the use of old maps to find the new world.

Four truths that novices must recognize

Truth 1: The fast money model is dead, and compliance is the primary productivity

In the past few years, industry growth has been supported by 0-kilometer vehicles (about 400,000 vehicles in 2024 and about 750,000 vehicles in 2025). Now this road has been cut across the board. The remaining players strive for three things: compliant vehicle sources, inspection and preparation, and overseas services. These three things happen to be the most lacking for novices and the biggest moat.

Truth 2: New energy used cars are an excess profit area

In the first half of the year, new energy used vehicles accounted for 31% of total exports,+196% year-on-year, nearly three times that of the same period last year:

● The average FOB price of a bicycle is 30% higher than that of a fuel vehicle;

● The gross profit is 1.5-2 times that of fuel vehicles;

● Structure: Micro pure electricity (Hongguang MINIEV, Dolphin, etc.) accounts for more than half, followed by Central Asia and Southeast Asia; hybrid (Qin PLUS, Song PLUS) accounts for 33%, followed by Kazakhstan and the Middle East; high-end pure electricity (Ideal, Tesla) accounts for 15%, followed by United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.

Low-level support: The number of new energy vehicles in the country has reached 48.97 million (33.67 million pure electricity vehicles). The domestic replacement cycle is only 2-3 years, and the vehicle source pool continues to expand. This growth rate is not a pulse, but a trend.

Truth 3: The market blooms at many points, but 62% of the head is eaten

In the first half of the year, the top ten exporting countries accounted for 78% of the total: Russia 61,000 vehicles (18.8%), Nigeria 43,000 vehicles (13.2%), and Kyrgyzstan 30,000 vehicles (9.2%), followed by Kazakhstan, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Cambodia, Uzbekistan, and Kenya.

Two signals worth noting:

Ghana: Exports of 14,000 vehicles,+290% year-on-year, ranking first in the top ten markets in growth, and West Africa became the most active growth pole;

Nigeria: The annual demand for imported used cars is about 1 million. The export of used heavy trucks will be 4352 units (+187.8%) in 2025, and the number will exceed 3600 units in the first four months of 2026.

But on the other side of the coin: the top ten export companies accounted for 62% of trade volume.  Among the more than 2800 registered companies across the country, only 426 new companies were added in the first half of the year. The rapid increase in industry concentration means that novices can't compete for the top, so they must go through differentiation-market segmentation, model segmentation, and service segmentation.

Truth 4: After-sales capabilities determine how far you can go

China's second-hand car exports account for less than 10% of global trade (6 - 7 million vehicles/year). Japan exports 1.7 million vehicles annually and the European Union 1.5 - 2 million vehicles. There is obvious room for growth, but three obstacles lie ahead: lack of after-sales network, zero brand trust, and weak overseas charging facilities for new energy.

--Whoever makes up for the after-sales service first will get the ticket for the next five years.

Newbie self-examination: What identity are you suitable for entering the game?

Don't ask if I can do it first, ask me what resource endowment I have.

Conclusion: For pure novices who do not have overseas resources, it is not recommended to make heavy models as soon as they come up.  The correct posture in 2026 is to use the light/medium model to run the entire process first, and then exchange profits for channels.

One route: four-stage entry method

Stage 1: Building the foundation-qualification and positioning(you can also rely on it first)

Qualifications: Record a used car export enterprise → CA digital certificate → apply for an export license. The declaration information must be completely consistent with the Motor Vehicle Registration Certificate, which is the red line;

Positioning: Choose a market + a model combination and don't be greedy for more. Reference: Newbies without resources start from Central Asia transshipment (Kyrgyzstan/Kazakhstan)+ miniature pure electric or 3-5-year-old fuel vehicles; those with West African resources are stuck in Ghana (mandatory on October 1, GS4510:2022, understand the standards in advance);

Milestone: Qualification in hand + positioning documents + vehicle source supply.

Stage 2: Run through the first order-full-process verification

Vehicle source: third-party testing meets the standards → transfer of registration to be exported → signing an export contract (including after-sales);

Customs declaration logistics: license application, booking, land freight trains (Central Asia)/sea freight (West Africa, Middle East);

Payment: Priority wire transfer (T/T) prepayment + final payment, or letter of credit (L/C)-pay attention to soft terms;

Milestone: Complete 1-2 actual orders, complete the closed loop of vehicle collection → inspection → customs declaration → shipment → payment,

Stage 3: Build channels-from selling cars to selling channels

Find 1-2 local agents/distributors in the target market and sign exclusive or semi-exclusive agreements;

Invest in profits from the first order: cooperation in local exhibition halls, front-placed parts, and linkage with after-sales outlets;

Stage 4: Building Barriers-After-sales and Brand

Join the after-sales support alliance or connect with overseas comprehensive service stations; hug your thighs

Establish standardized vehicle condition certification (benchmarking Japan auction testing system);

Milestone: Form a closed loop of vehicle source-inspection-logistics-after-sales, which can be replicated to the second market.

Team building: Second-hand export is a team game

Vehicle source procurement: Understand the market, have channels, and determine the cost line;

Overseas sales/BD: Have language skills and connections in the target market to determine the gross profit line;

Customs logistics: thoroughly understand filing, licenses, documents, booking, and decide on the delivery line;

Risk control finance: manage funds, exchange rates, contract compliance, and determine the line of life and death.

One person cannot do the work of four people. The light model can outsource customs services, butboth the car source and overseas customers must be in their own hands-this cannot be replaced by others.

Key time points in the second half of the year

September: Ghana GS4510: The last window before the implementation of 2022, preparation for compliant vehicle sources;

October 1: Ghana's new vehicle standards are enforced, and vehicles that fail to meet the standards face the risk of return/forfeiture;

Q4: Tracking the progress of VehCAP legislation in Nigeria and confirming the downward trend of second-hand import surtax;

Throughout the year: Focus on whether the proportion of used new energy vehicles can increase from 31% to 40%. This is the biggest structural variable in the second half of the year.

the last sentence

2026 is the true first year of used car exports. Opportunities for novices are not in the total amount, but inthe structural gaps: the high gross profit of new energy, the increase in outbreaks in West Africa, small batches of orders that are not worth the attention, and the blank area of after-sales service.

Don't rush to enter, choose your gap first.

Source: Xiong Yu, digital automobile export

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