China imported 200,000 vehicles in the first six months of 2026, down 11% year-on-year, as the price war in the imported-car market kept demand soft even after shipping disruptions in March and April. Buyers of imported cars are now facing fewer choices at a market level, while luxury sellers are dealing with lower retail turnover and narrower pricing room.
Retail sales of imported cars fell 29% to 190,000 units in the first half of 2026, and June sales dropped to 30,000 units. The China Passenger Car Association released the data on Sunday, showing that weaker demand has outlasted the temporary shipping hit and is still shaping the market into midyear.
Japan Leads 200,000 Imports
Japan supplied 103,493 units, the largest share of imports in the period, while Germany accounted for 44,311 units and the US for 17,732 units. Slovakia contributed 13,520 units and the UK 10,855 units, with Japan, Thailand, Austria and Mexico posting the biggest gains.
That country mix matters because it shows where import demand is still concentrated even as the total market shrinks. Imported battery electric passenger cars fell 36% in the first half, and imported plug-in hybrids dropped 58%, leaving NEVs at 2% of imported passenger cars, down from 3% in 2024.
Lexus Holds Up As Luxury Softer
Lexus remained the top imported luxury brand, with first-half 2026 volumes still near the highs of the past four years. Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover held up relatively well, while Bentley and Rolls-Royce were sluggish, Maserati pulled back after an unusually strong 2025, and Ferrari proved comparatively resilient.
Pressure is also visible in the upper end of the market. The China Passenger Car Association said purchasing power among ultra-high-end consumers has slowed for now, recent sell-offs have put pressure on pricing, and luxury car markets in Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Chengdu and Wuxi are under pressure, with Tianjin remaining the top market for super-luxury cars and Beijing declining sharply of late.
China's Import Slide Since 2014
The first-half decline was relatively mild by recent standards, but it still fits a longer slide from 1.43 million units in 2014 to 700,000 in 2024 and 480,000 in 2025. The China Passenger Car Association said the rise of local brands and the accelerating localization of international automakers are the main reasons behind the sustained contraction.
For buyers and dealers, the immediate read-through is straightforward: the shipping shock in March and April was not enough to reverse the broader downturn, and the imported-car market is still being pulled lower by weak demand. The pressure will stay significant, and the next test is whether June's 38,000-unit pace can hold once the market moves deeper into the second half.
