The economic operation of the automobile industry in the first half of 2013

author：开云（中国）kaiyun·官方网页版newstime：2013-07-24

According to the statistical analysis by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in the first half of 2013, automobile production and sales both exceeded 10 million units, with year-on-year growth exceeding 10%, showing a steady overall increase. The detailed analysis is as follows:

1.Automobile production and sales showed stable and rapid growth. Since the beginning of this year, facing a complex and volatile domestic and international environment, the central government has adhered to the general tone of steady progress, focusing on improving the quality and efficiency of economic growth, accelerating transformation and upgrading, and structural adjustment. The national economy has been running smoothly overall. As an important pillar industry of the national economy, the automotive industry has shown stable and rapid growth in production, sales, and economic benefits, contributing to the development of the national economy. In the first half of the year, China's automobile production and sales both exceeded the 10 million mark, reaching 10.7517 million units and 10.7822 million units, respectively, with year-on-year growth of 12.8% and 12.3%, respectively, higher than expected. This year, China's automotive industry had a good start, with production and sales growth exceeding 10% in the first quarter, showing outstanding performance. The growth rates of production in April, May, and June were 15.3%, 13.5%, and 9.3%, respectively. Although the growth rate slightly declined, it remained stable overall.

2.Passenger cars drove the overall rapid growth of automobile production and sales. In the first half of the year, the growth rates of production and sales of different types of automobiles showed significant differences. The growth rate of passenger cars was higher than that of commercial vehicles, driving the overall rapid growth of automobile production and sales. In the first half of the year, passenger car production and sales reached 8.6645 million units and 8.6651 million units, respectively, with year-on-year growth of 14% and 13.8%, respectively, an increase of 6.1 and 6.7 percentage points, respectively, over the same period last year. Among them, the production and sales growth rates of SUVs both exceeded 40%, continuing to show strong demand; the growth rates of sedan production and sales were 11.8% and 11.7%, respectively, lower than the overall growth rate of passenger cars, showing stable overall performance. The classification of MPV and cross-type passenger cars changed in the first half of the year, with MPV production and sales increasing by 132.4% and 128.2%, respectively, year-on-year, while cross-type passenger cars decreased by 23% and 22.5%, respectively. According to the original classification, MPV production and sales increased by 19.8% and 19.2%, respectively, year-on-year, and cross-type vehicles increased by 0.4% and 0.2%, respectively, year-on-year. The proportion of small-displacement passenger car sales increased in the first half of the year. Passenger cars with an engine capacity of 1.6 liters or less accounted for 68.5% of the total passenger car sales, an increase of 1.3 percentage points over the same period last year. Sedans with an engine capacity of 1.6 liters or less accounted for 73.1% of total sedan sales, an increase of 2.8 percentage points over the same period last year.

3.Production and sales of commercial vehicles were higher than the same period last year. Affected by economic structural adjustments and other factors, the production and sales of commercial vehicles have been sluggish in the past two years. In the first half of this year, the production and sales of commercial vehicles recovered, higher than the same period last year, and the growth rate showed a gradual increase. In the first half of the year, the production and sales of commercial vehicles reached 2.0872 million units and 2.1171 million units, respectively, with year-on-year growth of 8.2% and 6.7%, respectively. Last year's growth rate was negative. By type, the production and sales of the five types of commercial vehicles were all higher than the same period last year, among which bus production and sales increased by 14.8% and 14.9%, respectively, showing outstanding performance. Truck production and sales increased by 7% and 5.5%, respectively. The production and sales of semi-trailer tractors increased by 17.8% and 13.4%, respectively. Both incomplete vehicles for buses and trucks showed certain growth. We are analyzing the policy factors related to the growth of trucks, especially diesel heavy trucks.

4.The market share of Chinese brand passenger cars decreased, while that of sedans increased. In the first half of the year, sales of Chinese brand passenger cars reached 3.5667 million units, a year-on-year increase of 13.2%, accounting for 41.2% of total passenger car sales, a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from the same period last year. In the monthly analysis of the first half of the year, there were four months where the market share was lower than the same period last year. Data show that the decline in the market share of Chinese brand passenger cars narrowed compared to last year, but the situation remains severe. Although the comprehensive competitiveness has greatly improved, there is still a certain gap compared to foreign brands. In the first half of the year, sales of Chinese brand sedans reached 1.6153 million units, a year-on-year increase of 13.5%, accounting for 27.7% of total sedan sales, an increase of 0.4 percentage points over the same period last year. In the first half of the year, sales of German, Japanese, American, Korean, and French brand passenger cars reached 1.6766 million units, 1.2810 million units, 1.0523 million units, 791,300 units, and 276,900 units, respectively, accounting for 19.4%, 14.8%, 12.1%, 9.1%, and 3.2% of total passenger car sales, respectively. Among them, the market shares of German and Korean brands increased by 1.5 and 1.3 percentage points, respectively, compared to the same period last year. Although the market share of Japanese brands decreased by 4.2 percentage points compared to the same period last year, it has greatly improved compared to the situation after September last year, and the market share has shown a monthly increase in the first half of the year. In the first half of the year, sales of German, Japanese, American, Korean, and French brand sedans reached 1.4631 million units, 979,500 units, 915,500 units, 595,300 units, and 252,300 units, respectively, accounting for 25.1%, 16.8%, 15.7%, 10.2%, and 4.3% of total sedan sales, respectively.

5.Automobile export volume was lower than the same period last year. According to the export data of complete vehicle enterprises compiled by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in the first half of the year, automobile exports reached 486,800 units, a year-on-year decrease of 0.6%. Among them, passenger car exports reached 294,300 units, a year-on-year increase of 2.3%, while commercial vehicle exports reached 192,500 units, a year-on-year decrease of 4.8%. The top five countries with the largest declines in export volume were Iraq, Venezuela, Iran, Vietnam, and Turkey. The sluggish international market had a significant impact on China's automobile exports, and the appreciation of the RMB also had a certain negative impact on automobile exports. According to customs data compiled by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, from January to May, the total import and export value of automotive products nationwide was 60.976 billion US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 4.6%. Among them, the import value was 30.458 billion US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 12.3%, and the export value was 30.518 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 4.6%. From January to May, a total of 423,900 complete vehicles were imported, a year-on-year decrease of 17.1%, with an import value of 17.520 billion US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 21.1%. Among them, the import of sedans was 159,600 units, a year-on-year decrease of 22.8%, the import of off-road vehicles was 174,400 units, a year-on-year decrease of 10.6%, and the import of small buses was 76,600 units, a year-on-year decrease of 8.1%. From January to May, the total import volume of the above three types of vehicles was 410,600 units, accounting for 96.9% of the total vehicle imports. From January to May, the cumulative export volume of complete vehicles was 392,900 units, a year-on-year increase of 11.1%, with an export value of 5.050 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 0.6%. Among them, the export of sedans was 178,900 units, a year-on-year increase of 13.5%, the export of trucks was 124,300 units, a year-on-year decrease of 2.3%, and the export of buses was 61,800 units, a year-on-year increase of 48.1%. From January to May, the total export volume of the above three types of vehicles was 365,000 units, accounting for 92.9% of the total vehicle exports.

6.Market concentration increased. In the first half of the year, the combined sales volume of the top ten automobile enterprise groups reached 9.5139 million units, a year-on-year increase of 13.4%, 1.1 percentage points higher than the overall industry growth rate. This accounted for 88.2% of total automobile sales, an increase of 0.8 percentage points over the same period last year.

7.Energy-saving and new energy vehicle production and sales increased rapidly. According to incomplete statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the production and sales of new energy vehicles in China showed rapid growth compared to the same period last year. The production of new energy vehicles reached 5,885 units, a year-on-year increase of 56.3%, including 5,111 pure electric vehicles and 774 plug-in hybrid vehicles. The sales of new energy vehicles reached 5,889 units, a year-on-year increase of 42.7%, including 5,114 pure electric vehicles and 775 plug-in hybrid vehicles. In the first half of the year, the production of ordinary hybrid vehicles was 9,388 units, and sales were 10,048 units, a year-on-year increase of 1.6 times and 1.7 times, respectively. In the first half of the year, the production of natural gas vehicles was 43,898 units, and sales were 43,562 units, a year-on-year increase of 1.1 times and 1 time, respectively.

8.Economic benefits of enterprises grew in sync with production and sales. According to the statistics of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, from January to May, the main economic indicators of key enterprises (groups) in the automobile industry showed that the total industrial output value and operating income of 17 key enterprises (groups) increased by 14.5% and 11.4%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. The total profits and taxes increased by 18.4% and 18.2%, respectively. The economic benefits of enterprises grew basically in sync with automobile production and sales, indicating that the overall economic operation of the automobile industry was good. The performance of each enterprise showed significant differences. Four enterprises had year-on-year revenue growth exceeding 30%, five enterprises had growth between 10% and 30%, and three enterprises had revenue lower than the same period last year. Among the 17 key enterprises (groups), 12 enterprises had total profits higher than the same period last year, four enterprises had lower total profits, and one enterprise had losses. At the end of May, the accounts receivable of key enterprises (groups) in the automobile industry amounted to 174.781 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 29.5%. The funds for finished product inventory amounted to 75.581 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 5.7%.

9.Motorcycle production and sales operated at a low level. In the first half of the year, due to the continued sluggish market, the production and sales of the motorcycle industry continued last year's trend, operating at a low level, with monthly production and sales averaging about 1.9 million units, a decline compared to the same period last year. In the first half of the year, the industry completed motorcycle production and sales of 11.2745 million units and 11.4536 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 3.1% and 2.4%, respectively, the lowest production and sales volume for the same period since 2007.

10.Motorcycle Exports Better Than the Same Period Last Year

In the first half of the year, motorcycle exports showed an upward trend, with the highest export volume in May and a slight decline in June. The cumulative export volume was better than the same period last year. In the first half of the year, the industry exported 4.63 million motorcycles, a year-on-year increase of 3.2%, with an export value of $2.5 billion, a year-on-year increase of 4.6%. The export situation of motorcycles was better than the production and sales of the industry.

Although the growth rate of automobile production and sales in the first half of the year exceeded our expectations, due to the many uncertainties in the second half of the year, we still maintain our forecast and judgment for the whole year