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Story no.70InternationalOngoingSales and market +1Notable Several countries (5)31 Oct → 6 Nov18 facts · 35 art.

German carmakers' sales slump in China amid local competition

German automakers, including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, are experiencing a sharp decline in their sales and exports in China, where the share of foreign brands has fallen below 30% in favor of local players. This trend is affecting the entire Chinese market and weighing on European groups' strategies, which several analyses have deemed insufficient. Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to produce locally nearly all its models intended for China and to strengthen its presence in the United States, while other European premium automakers such as JLR, Audi and Volvo are also betting on the US market, with mixed results. Meanwhile, Chinese premium brands are relaunching their efforts to establish themselves in Germany. The press is covering the topic in China, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and France.

In brief

Ongoing story bringing together 18 events involving Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and 10 more, in 5 countries (Chine, Allemagne, États-Unis and 2 more), followed from 31 October 2026 to 6 November 2026. 35 articles from 17 sources (sales and market, plants, jobs and earnings); last updated on 6 November 2026 at 06:40.

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Timeline

newest first

Dot = severity

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In figures

The activity

18 facts

Latest activity 2 hours ago

31 Oct6 Nov

Countries concerned

Brands concerned

Official figures

  • Mercedes-Benz · 71,871 reg. (EU + EFTA + UK, Sept 26) · 84 recall(s) in 12 months
  • BMW · 67,640 reg. (EU + EFTA + UK, Sept 26) · 82 recall(s) in 12 months
  • Audi · 58,574 reg. (EU + EFTA + UK, Sept 26) · 43 recall(s) in 12 months
  • Volkswagen · 120,214 reg. (EU + EFTA + UK, Sept 26) · 60 recall(s) in 12 months

Key figures

Amounts cited$4 billion · £3bn

Highest number recorded in 2 article(s), automatically extracted: please check sources.

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Sources by country and language

Press country

ArticlesOutlets
China119
United States83
Germany65
United Kingdom65
France22
Australia11
Netherlands11

Languages

ArticlesOutlets
English139
Chinese119
German65
French22
Dutch11
Spanish11
Italian11

Country of the outlet (not of the topic), inferred from its address and language. Each outlet counts once per row.

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Further reading