Chinese used car dealers are reaping the benefits of a 40% growth rate in Africa by leveraging "new energy + overseas warehouses"

Public information shows that the proportion of new energy vehicle exports has increased, emerging markets have been expanded, and the optimization of the entire chain of services has become the core features.

Policy and institutional foundation

China has fully opened up the qualification application for used car export enterprises since March 2024, significantly increasing the participation of enterprises. The standardization system is also gradually being established. The industry has strengthened vehicle inspection and certification (such as GCC and IRAM standards of target countries) and established a quality traceability mechanism to prevent non-compliant vehicles from being exported.

Local hubs and customs clearance innovation: Chengdu has implemented the "tax refund upon entry into the zone" policy, reducing the processing time for export tax refunds to five working days (three working days for first and second category enterprises); the license issuance time has been shortened to one working day. Logistics cost optimization: Chengdu to Central Asia uses "mixed train full-rail transportation", reducing logistics costs by 33%; the export volume from Guiyang base to Russia has exceeded 300 million yuan.

Structural changes in the market and products

Regional diversification continues. Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa remain the main export markets, while emerging demands in Central Asia, Eastern Europe and South America are constantly emerging.

In addition, the acceleration of the new energy transition, driven by global low-carbon policies, has led to a significant increase in the proportion of used new energy vehicles exported. Plug-in hybrid and pure electric models have become the main force, and the demand for new energy vehicles in East Africa has surged by 82%.

Industry Challenges and Prospects

The key challenges include insufficient coverage of the overseas after-sales network, fluctuations in policies of target countries (such as tariff adjustments), and the need to enhance local service capabilities.

However, the synergy between policies and the industrial chain will continue to drive scale growth, and the proportion of new energy is expected to increase further. The potential in key regions such as Central Asia, Africa, and South America is significant.

A Panoramic View of the Used Car Market in Africa

Africa, as an emerging market with a population of 1.4 billion, is becoming an important destination for China's used car exports. According to industry statistics, the annual transaction volume of used cars in Africa exceeds 18 billion US dollars and is growing at a rate of 8% to 10%.

The local automotive manufacturing industry in Africa accounts for only 8% of the GDP, and the used car market has long been dominated by Japanese brands (Toyota and Honda combined account for over 50%). The proportion of China's used car exports has risen from 1.2% in 2020 to 3.8% in 2024.