[Cui Dongshu: Structural Dividends in Exports Are Reshaping the Competitive Position of Domestic Brands] Cui Dongshu of the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) stated in an article that against the backdrop of pressure on the overall car market and a year-on-year decline in retail sales in October 2026, the strong performance of exports has become a key variable supporting automakers' sales. Furthermore, the export structure exhibits a clear characteristic of "mid-to-low-priced mainstream models," which directly contributes to the more prominent performance of mainstream domestic brands amidst performance differentiation. Specifically, passenger vehicle exports (including complete vehicles and CKD kits) reached 928,000 units in October, a year-on-year increase of 69%, with exports accounting for as much as 35% of manufacturers' sales (compared to 19% last year). Among them, exports of new energy passenger vehicles reached 582,000 units, a significant year-on-year increase of 145%, with A00+A0 class pure electric vehicles accounting for 56% of pure electric vehicle exports. Since exported models are mainly mid-to-low-priced mainstream models, domestic brands that emphasize cost-effectiveness and economies of scale (such as BYD, Chery, and Geely) have shown stronger sales resilience driven by exports, while automakers relying on high-end or pure gasoline models are under greater pressure. This reflects the core logic of the current auto market: in the context of "domestic competition for existing market share and overseas growth for breakthrough", the structural dividends of exports are reshaping the competitive position of domestic brands.
