On July 9, 2026, the main forum of the "Rebuilding and Renewing" 2026 China Used Car Conference was successfully held in Wuxi, Jiangsu.  At this main forum, Lang Xuehong, deputy secretary-general of China Automobile Dealers Association, shared the theme of "The Market Map of Cars Going to Sea and Opportunities for Used Car Export." Based on global automobile production and sales data, we dismantle the overseas market segment pattern, analyze the current situation of China's new cars sailing to the sea and the global competition pattern of used car trade, and focus on judging the new development window for used car exports, providing guidance for domestic automobile companies and used car business entities to layout overseas market layout.

Lang Xuehong first started from the global new car market and pointed out that the annual global sales of new cars in 2025 will be approximately 96 million, with an average annual growth rate of approximately 3%. The proportion of new cars made in China has jumped from less than 5% to 35%. In terms of overseas markets, of the world's approximately 68 million overseas new vehicles capacity, China exported 7.1 million vehicles last year, accounting for 10% of the overseas market share. Among the more than 200 sovereign countries, more than 60 countries have annual sales of more than 50,000 units, contributing more than 90% of global sales. From the perspective of regional sectors, the four major sectors of North America, the European Union, East Asia and South Asia together account for about 70% of the global market. However, China's current main exports are still concentrated in Central and South America, Central Asia, ASEAN, the Middle East and CIS countries. The market share of Chinese brands in these places has exceeded double digits.

Lang Xuehong reminded attention to the right-hand rudder market. The global annual sales of right-hand rudder vehicles are about 17 million to 18 million units. Although they only account for less than 20% of the world, they cover key regions such as ASEAN, the United Kingdom, and Japan. However, domestic used car companies currently have almost no right-hand rudder product resources. If you want to enter these markets, you must cooperate with the main engine factory to obtain vehicle sources.

Lang Xuehong said that the total global automobile trade volume is about 35 million units, of which the trade volume of new cars is about 28 million units, and the trade volume of used cars is about 6 million to 7 million units. With the accession of China, the scale of global trade in used cars is expected to rise to 10 million units. Currently, Japan exports about 1.7 million used cars annually, the EU exports about 1.5 million to 2 million vehicles, South Korea stabilizes at more than 500,000 vehicles, and the United States has about 1.2 million vehicles. China exported about 750,000 vehicles in the name of used cars last year. In the first five months of this year, second-hand car exports showed significant differentiation: exports, mainly zero-kilometer cars, fell like a cliff, while exports of second-hand cars with real driving mileage grew rapidly, which means that the industry is returning to the essence of real second-hand car trade.

Lang Xuehong also introduced data on the export flow of used cars from the United States, Japan and South Korea calculated by the United Nations Trade Agency and the Planning Agency. Global used car import data shows that Africa is the region with the most concentrated imports of used cars, accounting for more than 30% of the global used car trade volume, followed by the Middle East and Central Asia, with the United Arab Emirates serving as a transit port for re-exports to Africa in large quantities. Among specific countries, Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, with a population of more than 200 million and an annual demand for imported used cars is about 1 million. It is an important target market. Lang Xuehong specifically introduced the local concept of "tokunbo" in Nigeria, which specifically refers to imported used cars, and suggested that companies pay attention to local used car trading platforms to grasp the market. At the same time, she pointed out that there are about 100,000 Chinese and thousands of Chinese-funded companies in Nigeria, and China and Nigeria have good diplomatic relations. Large-scale infrastructure projects have driven demand for commercial vehicles and passenger cars, which are suitable for the entry of various models such as pickup trucks.

Lang Xuehong specifically mentioned that starting from May 1, 2026, China will implement a unilateral zero-tariff policy on 53 African countries, which will significantly reduce the export cost of used cars and new cars. Combined with the continuous advancement of aid projects to Africa, it will bring important strategic opportunities to the African market.

Lang Xuehong suggested that companies refer to the distribution of overseas ownership of China brands. Currently, Latin America accounts for the highest proportion of ownership, exceeding 20%, the Middle East is about 20%, the Eurasian Union is about 15%, and the European Union is about 15%. These data can be used as a reference for the base of used cars. In terms of brands, Chery, BYD, SAIC, etc. are among the top exporters. In terms of power structure, policy support for new energy vehicles such as the European Union and Southeast Asia account for a relatively high proportion. While areas with weak infrastructure such as Latin America and Africa still rely on demand for fuel vehicles. Mainly, Middle Eastern oil-exporting countries also prefer traditional energy vehicles, and companies need to choose specific areas for overseas layout according to local conditions.

Finally, she concluded that companies should combine their own resource endowments, refer to differences in overseas ownership shares, export flows of China brands and power structure, and give priority to second-hand car importing countries such as Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, while being vigilant against localized production of new cars. The substitution effect.

Lang Xuehong said that China Automobile Dealers Association has completed in-depth market research in more than 20 countries, and will continue to expand country coverage in the future, provide navigation services to enterprises, and help the industry seize the growth window of core markets such as Africa and the Middle East in 2026, the real first year of used car exports, and achieve a leap from "going out" to "going in".

Source: China Automobile Dealers Association

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