UK continues to soak up 30% of all Chinese models arriving in Europe
- Matthias Schmidt
- Aug 13
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 14
According to Schmidt Automotive Research data, the UK continues to soak up almost every third new Chinese-brand passenger car arriving across Western Europe so far this year.
30% of all Chinese models from the likes of SAIC's MG brand, BYD, and Chery, which collectively contributed 70% of all Chinese volumes across the 18-market region, landed in the UK.
The island nation remains on track to see one-fifth of its market accounted for by Chinese models this year, and alongside Italy is one of just two regional markets to witness Chinese models outnumber Japanese models this year.
A UK-based logistics expert told Schmidt Automotive Research’s European, European Chinese OEM Study, published every quarter, that the Chinese brands are struggling to find storage facilities for models rolling off PCTC vessels entering UK ports, increasingly the Port of Bristol, and are consequently forcing models onto the road to make room for the next ships arriving as China uses the brand agnostic UK market in particular to off-set a slowing domestic Chinese market.
With Italy and Spain added to the scope, two-thirds of all Chinese models registered across the region so far this year landed in just three markets, with the remaining volumes spread across the other 15 markets. Top Chinese passenger car manufacturers by volume Western Europe H1 2026
OEM | Registrations | Market Share (%) |
SAIC-MG | 163,988 | 2.5% |
BYD | 160,717 | 2.5% |
Chery | 140,340 | 2.2% |
Geely | 57,957 | 0.9% |
Leapmotor | 53,155 | 0.8% |
Source: Schmidt Automotove Research
The UK is seen as an attractive market for Chinese OEMs given that the ex-EU member state didn't replicate EU anti-subsidy tariffs placed on Chinese-made pure BEVs at the end of 2024.
Significantly, the UK is a right-hand drive configured market, similar to a large proportion of the Asia Pacific (APAC) region which could also bring added advantages.
This is just a small extract from one of our full studies which are available below. To discover more about out studies just contact us
Scope: Western Europe's 18 Markets: EU Member States prior to the 2004 enlargement, plus EFTA markets Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, plus UK – accounting for 90% of the enlarged European region.
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