China’s August exports: 1.01 million units — every second car was a NEV
CAAM: August 1.01 million exports (−3.2% m/m, +65.3% y/y), third month above one million. NEVs 526,000 (+130% y/y), over 50% of exports for three months. Jan–Aug 7.153 million (+66.7%); NEV exports 3.435 million.
China’s industry association CAAM (figures released 10 September 2026; widely reported through 17 September) counted 1.01 million vehicle exports in August 2026: −3.2% month-on-month, +65.3% year-on-year. It is the third consecutive month above one million.
The mix shifted. August NEV exports were 526,000 (+130% y/y), more than half of that month’s export total — CAAM’s Chen Shihua: roughly one in two exported cars is now a new-energy vehicle. January–August NEV exports: 3.435 million (about +120% y/y). All-powertrain exports in the same eight months: 7.153 million (+66.7%), already above the ~7.1 million shipped in the whole of 2025.
Passenger-car export (CPCA, includes CBU + CKD): August 888,000 (+77.8% y/y); January–August 6.098 million (+75.7%). CAAM and CPCA use different scopes — do not mix the two into one landed worksheet.
CAAM is cautiously optimistic that 2026 full-year exports can clear 10 million. CPCA’s Cui Dongshu has floated 11.5–12 million. Treat both as outlook, not a customs print.
Desk takeaway: volume is not the bottleneck — shipping slots, documents and destination clearance are. For this corridor, NEV share at origin does not mean every Tiggo/Monjaro FOB sheet is a BEV case.
*Figures: CAAM 10 Sep 2026; CPCA as reported 9 Sep 2026. Not a live customs calculation.*