Nearly 5,000 Chinese-made automobiles wait to be shipped to the UK at Dongfang Port, Jiangsu, March 23, 2026. /VCG
Chinese automakers have surpassed their Japanese counterparts in international car gross sales for the primary time, marking a significant shift within the automotive trade, in accordance with a current report by Nikkei.
The report stated whole international gross sales by Japanese automakers fell barely to round 25 million models in 2025, inflicting Japan to lose its long-held prime place for the primary time since 2000. Meanwhile, Chinese automotive producers recorded practically 27 million models in international gross sales final 12 months, rising to the highest spot worldwide.
The conclusion was based mostly on knowledge launched by main automakers and analysis performed by automotive knowledge platform MarkLines, Nikkei stated.
Among particular person corporations, BYD surpassed Ford to rank sixth globally in 2025, whereas Geely overtook Honda to safe eighth place, the report stated.
Six Chinese automakers entered the worldwide prime 20 rankings, together with Chery, Changan Automobile, SAIC Motor and Great Wall Motors, outnumbering Japan’s 5.
In the electrical car section, BYD additionally exceeded Tesla to turn into the world’s main EV vendor, the report added.
Tang Jin, a senior researcher at Japan’s Mizuho Bank and an automotive sector professional, famous that China’s rise to the highest is greater than a easy change in rankings. It alerts a restructuring of the worldwide automotive panorama, pushed by China’s strengths in superior know-how, price effectivity and fast analysis and growth.
He added that Japan must reassess its methods in car electrification and international market positioning in response to evolving competitors.
Source: CGTN