Chery July sales jump 23% as exports cross 200,000 milestone

Chery Group sold 276,820 vehicles in July, up 23.3 percent year-on-year, with exports crossing 200,000 units for the first time by a Chinese automaker.

"International markets are strategically important to our future growth," Yin Tongyue, chairman of Chery Group, said at the FREELANDER 8 roll-off ceremony at the company's Changshu manufacturing base in Jiangsu province.

July exports reached 202,533 units, up 70.1 percent year-on-year, while new energy vehicle sales hit 129,067 units, a 97.5 percent surge. In the first seven months of 2026, Chery delivered 1,634,353 vehicles, up 10.1 percent, with cumulative exports of 1,146,350 units, up 71.2 percent, and NEV sales of 604,305 units, up 42.3 percent.

The record export month cements Chery's position as China's No.1 automotive exporter, with more than 19.38 million cumulative global owners. The company is accelerating international expansion through its FREELANDER joint venture with Jaguar Land Rover, which began mass production of the FREELANDER 8 at the $3.1 billion Changshu facility, with a Middle East debut planned for September in Abu Dhabi.

The FREELANDER Super Factory, backed by a total investment exceeding $3.1 billion plus an additional $440 million in new energy intelligent manufacturing upgrades, features more than 1,100 robots and end-to-end digital quality traceability systems. Test vehicles have arrived in the Middle East for road testing across desert, coastal and urban environments ahead of the brand's Abu Dhabi launch.

Chery's export momentum comes as Chinese automakers continue to gain share in markets including Mexico, where they face 50 percent import tariffs, and Canada, which opened a limited EV quota in early 2026. Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley told employees in July that the automaker is preparing for Chinese rivals entering the US market within five to ten years, with the first meaningful indicator expected from Canadian sales data. BYD, Chery's main domestic rival, has also been expanding overseas, passing 100,000 UK sales in three years.

The July figures extend Chery's growth trajectory from April, when the group sold 251,386 vehicles with exports of 100,276 units and NEV sales of 102,102 units, up 102.4 percent year-on-year. The acceleration in export volume — nearly doubling from April to July — reflects deepening demand across emerging markets and the Middle East.

The record export performance points to sustained demand for Chinese-built vehicles globally, with implications for the broader supply chain including battery makers and component suppliers. Investors will watch Chery's August sales data and the FREELANDER 8's Abu Dhabi debut in September for the next read on the group's international growth.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.