China auto sales fall in July, while exports jump about 20% as automakers expand across the globe

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Auto sales in China faltered in July, falling 5% from a year earlier, although exports jumped about 20% from a year earlier as makers of electric vehicles expanded into global markets

BANGKOK — Auto sales in China faltered in July, falling 5% from a year earlier, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said Friday, although exports jumped about 20% as makers of electric vehicles expanded into global markets.

Sales of passenger cars totaled about 2 million units, with about 1.6 million sold inside China, a year-on-year decline of 10%. Total exports of passenger vehicles jumped more than 20% to 399,000 units.

More than half of all vehicles sold were so-called “new energy vehicles,” or electrics and plug-in hybrids.

Chinese automakers have ramped up exports of vehicles as demand has lagged in their home market and the U.S. and European Union have raised tariffs on the grounds that government subsidies offered by Beijing give automakers in China an unfair advantage.

China's Commerce Ministry said Friday that it had submitted the provisional tariffs imposed in early July to the World Trade Organization's dispute settlement mechanism.

“The EU’s preliminary ruling lacks a factual and legal basis, seriously violates WTO rules, and undermines the overall situation of global cooperation in addressing climate change,” the ministry said in a statement on its website.

“We urge the EU to immediately correct its wrong practices and jointly maintain the stability of China-EU economic and trade cooperation and the electric vehicle industry chain supply chain,” it said.

To try to boost demand and counter slowing economic growth while also promoting cleaner transport, China has expanded incentives to encourage drivers to