Car imports go into reverse

By segment, sport utility vehicles continued to dominate the imported sector, with 61 percent of overall sales.

In the first five months, China imported 271,000 SUVs, the only segment that was still increasing, for a gain of 17.3 percent.

In comparison, sedan imports fell 3.5 percent to 159,000 units and imports of multi-purpose vehicles stood at 16,000 units, down 5.2 percent.

The share of vehicles imported from Germany (Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW) dipped 3.2 percentage points to 66.5 percent.

Demand for vehicles from the United States surged, lifting their market share by 4.2 percentage points to 12.3 percent in the imported segment.

Wang said that in the second half, there is "potential" in European branded vehicle imports, excluding those from Germany, while the US share will continue to rise.

China's first-half vehicle exports saw a slowdown. Half-year growth ground to a near-halt, slowing from 29.7 percent in 2012 to just 2.29 percent this year.

China's top vehicle exporter, Chery Automobile Co, saw exports fall 49.6 percent in June and 24.82 percent for the first half.

The latest figures from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers show that in the first half, China's domestic vehicle production and sales both surpassed 10 million units, with year-on-year growth of more than 12 percent.

The association said that the double-digit growth can be attributed to surging demand for passenger vehicles, led by sedans and SUVs.

In the period, 8.66 million passenger vehicles were delivered to Chinese consumers, up 13.8 percent from a year earlier. SUV deliveries surged by more than 40 percent.