China’s auto sales fell in June for the first time in four months. An industry group says consumer sentiment remains weak despite Beijing’s efforts to encourage car owners to replace older models.
The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers says 2.552 million units were sold last month. That’s down 2.7 percent from a year ago.
But the association says sales of new-energy vehicles rose 30.1 percent. These are battery-only electrics, plug-in hybrids and models powered by fuel cells.
China’s auto exports including gasoline cars marked a 26.9 percent jump to 485,000 units in June.
But there are some factors that could cast a shadow over the country’s outbound EV shipments.
The European Union imposed an additional tariff last Friday, and the United States has announced its own substantial levy hike.