ECG Business Intelligence at the ECG Quality, Port & Maritime Congress in Zeebrugge

ECG Business Intelligence at the ECG Quality, Port & Maritime Congress in Zeebrugge

ECG — 2025-01-23

News from ECG

ECG Business Intelligence analyst, Namrita Chow, gave a presentation at the Quality, Port & Maritime Working Group Congress hosted by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges on 22 January. In this latest update, ECG Business Intelligence gave the latest data on imports of Chinese made vehicles into the EU. 

Global exports of vehicles from China hit 5.8 m units in 2024, marking an annual increase of 19% year on year from the 4.91 m units of new vehicles exported to global exports from China in 2023, as per data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Of the total volume exported in 2024, passenger cars accounted for 85% of the total volume with 4.94 m units exported to global markets. Of the total leaving China, the majority volume was internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles accounting for 78.25% of the total volume.

For the Quality, Port & Maritime Working group the focus was to analyse the volume to see the proportion of imports of new passenger cars coming into the EU from China.

Using the latest import data available from Eurostat, and collating this for countries within the EU,  ECG Business Intelligence was able to show the type of vehicles imported and the fuel type. 

In 2022 the total number of passenger cars imported into the EU hit 505,850 units. In 2023 the volume of passenger cars imported direct from China jumped 47.33% to reach 748,626 units. But in the first 11 months of 2024, the volume has hit 680,781 units. In fact following a peak of import volumes in the month of October of 91,684 units imported, there has been a decline of 26.57% month on month in November. December data has as yet not been released.

But what are the types of vehicles coming into the EU? 

In 2022 imports of new energy vehicles (NEVs) hit 376,765 units accounting for 74% of the direct PC imports to the EU from China. By end of 2023 the volume of NEV imports increased by 42.89% year on year to hit 538,386—that is over half a million new energy passenger cars imported to the EU form China. In 2024 in the January to November timeframe a total of 426,214 units of NEVs have been imported into the EU, marking 63% of the total volume imported. While still accounting for the majority of imports, the share of NEV imports is slowing. This is a reflection of both demand and policies at play. 

Meanwhile ICE passenger car imports, to the EU direct from China, have seen volumes increase with 254,567 units imported in the first 11 months of 2024, already over 21% higher than full year imports of ICEs in 2023. 

The full set of slides and detailed analysis are available for ECG Members upon request. Contact us at info@ecgassociation.eu