급감속하는 중국 자동차 시장

블룸버그 기사인데 중국 자동차 시장이 1년째 쪼그라들고 있고, 멈출 기색이 보이지 않는다고 합니다.

중국 국내 브랜드, 독일 Volkswagen, 미국 GM의 Buick, Chevrolet 모두 줄어들었는데 그래도 메르세데스 벤츠, BMW, 혼다, 토요타는 늘었다네요.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-11/china-car-slump-extends-to-a-year-with-no-rebound-in-sight?fbclid=IwAR1HERxWW1RjtxF4bt2UTPAr-QjZyQh_sFQ3_sEhMev2ZccBAAEvxNyjL4U

Economics

China Car Slump Extends to a Year With Few Signs of Reprieve

Bloomberg News

June 11, 2019, 5:30 PM GMT+9 Updated on June 11, 2019, 6:25 PM GMT+9

Sales in world’s biggest market drop for 12th straight month

Local manufacturers hurting more, international brands hold up

China’s car sales declined for the 12th consecutive month, a historic slump that’s left manufacturers reeling as trade tensions and economic worries weigh on consumer sentiment.

Retail sales of sedans, sport utility vehicles, minivans and multipurpose vehicles fell 12.5% to 1.61 million units in May, the China Passenger Car Association said Tuesday. That follows a 16.6% decline in April and a 12% drop in March.

The unprecedented slide has hit local brands particularly hard, though market leader Volkswagen AG has also seen its sales wane this year. While China this month unveiled a stimulus plan to help spur car demand, the policies don’t include any new spending from the central government and were met with doubts that they are enough to revive sales.

“It is a pretty difficult time for the auto industry,” Cui Dongshu, secretary general of PCA, told reporters in Beijing.

Sales by Chinese brands fell 26.5% last month, while deliveries of premium cars rose 9.4%, he said. The first week of June showed a “slight” increase in total sales from a year earlier after dealerships slashed prices to lure buyers, he said.

Demand Hurdles

Shoppers have stayed away from showrooms as economic woes and sputtering stock prices weighed on their purchasing power. Meanwhile, the rising popularity and availability of car-sharing and ride-hailing services is reducing the need for individuals to buy vehicles.

The market that global carmakers have relied on for growth since the 1990s now risks an extended decline, raising questions about the companies’ expansion plans in China. Global manufacturers have invested billions of dollars in the hope that the world’s biggest market will keep growing even as vehicle demand in Europe and North America wanes.

Sales of Volkswagen-branded cars have fallen 8% in China this year through April, according to LMC Automotive. General Motors Co.’s Buick and Chevrolet have also declined, while Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Honda and Toyota have advanced, according to the researcher.

Local brands Baojun, Dongfeng and Trumpchi are among those hardest hit, with their sales declining 40% or more over that span, according to LMC.

Shares of German carmakers fell from intraday highs. Volkswagen was up 1.8% at 11:11 a.m. in Frankfurt after rising as much as 2.3%, while BMW was up 1.9%.

— With assistance by Ying Tian

(Updates with PCA comment about June sales in fifth paragraph.)