Policy dividends combined with market explosion, China's second-hand car exports enter the fast lane of globalization

With the implementation of zero tariff policies by China towards 53 African countries and the implementation of the "Guidelines for Applying for Relevant Matters of Used Car Exports (Revised in 2025)", China's used car exports have officially entered a dual wheel drive era of "policy driven+market explosion". Industry data shows that by 2024, the export volume of second-hand cars in China will exceed 400000 units, covering more than 160 countries and regions worldwide, with an export value exceeding 40 billion yuan, becoming a new growth pole in foreign trade.

Policy relaxation: simplified export process, strengthened compliance
According to the latest guidelines from the Ministry of Commerce, second-hand car export enterprises must meet the "four haves" conditions: independent legal personality, fixed business premises, professional evaluation team, and compliant financial auditing. Enterprises can apply for export licenses online through the "Unified Platform of the Ministry of Commerce Business System" to achieve "one-stop" filing. It is worth noting that the guidelines explicitly prohibit the handling of licenses and strengthen the accountability for behaviors such as VIN code errors and forged documents.

The policy has shifted from 'threshold access' to' process supervision ', forcing enterprises to build a full chain quality traceability system, "said Luo Lei, Vice President of the China Association of Automobile Dealers. Currently, more than 200 enterprises have completed the filing, covering OEMs, leasing companies, and cross-border logistics service providers.

Market explosion: New energy used cars become 'new favorites', African market becomes blue ocean
Stimulated by the zero tariff policy, 53 African countries have seen a surge in demand for Chinese used new energy vehicles. Taking Ethiopia as an example, from 2025 onwards, it will only allow the import of used new energy vehicles, accompanied by tariff free policies; Egypt has opened a green channel for hybrid/electric used cars within three years. Data shows that from January to July 2025, China's exports of used non new energy vehicles increased by 230% year-on-year, with brands such as BYD and GAC Aion dominating.

The Southeast Asian market also performed well. Myanmar allows the import of left-hand drive vehicles, Laos exempts electric vehicles from tariffs, and Vietnam focuses on Japanese and Korean second-hand cars with a car age of 0-3 years. The Sichuan Shuangliu Second hand Car Export Base has integrated more than 100 service institutions, including exhibition and trading, certification and testing, and cross-border logistics, through the "full industry chain ecosystem" model. The export volume exceeded 700 million yuan in the first five months of this year.

Enterprise Breakthrough: From "Price War" to "Service War"
Faced with fierce competition in overseas markets, Chinese companies are shifting from "low-priced exports" to "brand going global". Shenzhou Car Rental has a full chain capability of "high standard pre-sales preparation+global logistics during sales+localized after-sales support", covering more than 30 countries including the Middle East and Africa with 4000 vehicle sources; Panjin Gaosheng Automobile focuses on new energy used cars, exporting 210 units in half a year and achieving sales of 2.25 million US dollars.

Overseas customers not only look at the condition of the car, but also value after-sales support, "said Zhang Qiang, the export business manager of Gaosheng Automobile. The company has established standardized service processes such as battery health testing and 24-hour road rescue. Sichuan Hongqi Bo Mao Co., Ltd. has set up an overseas exhibition hall in Uzbekistan and quickly responded to market demand through a localized team.

Challenges and opportunities: Logistics costs, standard differences to be overcome
Despite the broad market prospects, enterprises still face multiple challenges. Due to the high proportion of logistics costs, inland enterprises in the western region are using innovative transportation models such as "Central Asia Express" and "China Laos Express" to reduce costs. In addition, the coverage rate of charging stations in Africa is less than 0.3 per thousand vehicles, which also forces companies to layout charging infrastructure and CKD (loose component assembly) models.

The ultimate competition in the export of second-hand cars is industry chain competition. "Hu Fangjun, Operations Director of China (Shuangliu, Sichuan) Second hand Car Export Base, believes that in the future, the industry will present three major trends:" trade chain segmentation, trade subject intensification, and product structure diversification. "Enterprises need to achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement through platform cooperation.

Conclusion
From policy relaxation to market explosion, from price competition to service upgrading, China's second-hand car exports are accelerating their integration into the global automotive circulation system with "standardization, ecologicalization, and branding" as the core. In this trillion dollar race, whoever can build a closed-loop capability of "vehicle source+service+localization" will be able to gain an advantage in the global market.