Global Used Car Import and Export Market in 2026: New Landscape, New Policies, and Future Trends
The global automotive industry is at a critical juncture, transitioning from incremental competition to a stock-based recycling model. Used car import and export trade, as a core link connecting global automotive resources and activating the existing market, is increasingly strategically important. Compared to the past, the current global used car market is undergoing an unprecedented reshaping, driven by multiple factors such as policy adjustments, optimized vehicle source structure, and upgraded consumer demand, with various emerging trends rapidly iterating. For those deeply involved in the used car foreign trade sector, accurately capturing the latest industry dynamics, thoroughly understanding policy guidance, and avoiding content plagiarism are not only prerequisites for compliant operation but also core competitive advantages for seizing market opportunities. This article will rely on core industry insights, integrating the latest data and policies from 2025-2026 to provide a fresh interpretation of the current state and future trends of the global used car import and export market, completely avoiding the problem of content homogenization found in previous articles.
I. New Changes in the Global Used Car Import and Export Market Landscape in 2026
The expansion of the global used car market continues to be prominent, especially with the rise of emerging markets such as China and Southeast Asia, further driving the growth of global trade volume. Previously, data from Grand View Research showed that in 2021, the total value of global used car transactions reached US$1.6 trillion, with shipments of 120.3 million vehicles, and is projected to maintain a compound annual growth rate of 6.1% from 2022 to 2030. Looking at the latest industry dynamics, the Chinese used car market has taken the lead in achieving a breakthrough, with transaction volume exceeding 20 million vehicles for the first time in 2025, reaching 20.108 million vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 2.52%, and a cumulative transaction amount of RMB 1.28979 trillion, becoming an important engine driving the growth of the global used car market. Globally, the recovery in consumer confidence driven by economic recovery, the increasing cost-effectiveness of used cars, and the filling of the gap in car ownership in emerging markets are jointly driving the continued prosperity of global used car import and export trade. It is projected that global used car exports will increase by more than 30% in 2026 compared to 2024.
Japan remains a core force in global used car exports, maintaining a leading position globally thanks to its mature industrial system and abundant vehicle reserves. In 2023, Japan exported 1.543 million used cars, accounting for 25% of its total annual car sales. Its export markets cover more than 200 countries and regions worldwide, with the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia remaining its core focus areas. Relying on a comprehensive sales and service network, Japan continues to consolidate its market share. Since starting its used car export business in the 1960s, Japan has formed a complete system encompassing "vehicle sourcing integration - preparation and inspection - overseas distribution - after-sales support," and its refined operational model remains a benchmark for global counterparts.
China's used car exports have achieved leapfrog development. Since the Ministry of Commerce, together with five other ministries, launched a pilot program in April 2019, exports have exploded in just six years-from only 4,300 vehicles in 2020 to over 410,000 in 2024, and are projected to exceed 1 million in 2025, a 232-fold increase in six years. As an emerging export powerhouse, China's rise in used car exports benefits from three major advantages: First, the driving force of the new energy vehicle industry, with plug-in hybrid vehicle exports showing explosive growth, reaching a growth rate of 210% in 2025; second, increasingly abundant vehicle reserves, with large-scale release of vehicles from leasing companies, ride-hailing platforms, and financial institutions, forming a rich pool of high-quality vehicles; and third, continuous policy support, with the full liberalization of export enterprise qualifications, surging from the initial 47 to 3,000, and customs clearance cycles shortened by 40%, significantly improving export efficiency. Furthermore, the industrial agglomeration effect of core ports such as Tianjin Dongjiang is becoming increasingly prominent. In 2025, Dongjiang exported over 34,000 used cars, valued at over 6 billion yuan, accounting for approximately two-thirds of Tianjin's total used car export value, making it a "fast track" for Chinese used cars going global.
Countries along the Belt and Road Initiative remain the core export destinations for Chinese used cars, while the market layout continues to optimize. Between 2019 and 2023, Chinese used cars were exported to more than 160 countries and regions, with Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, the UAE, and Kazakhstan consistently ranking in the top five. The top ten export destinations accounted for 90% of the total export volume. Notably, export destinations are gradually expanding from traditional Central Asia and the Middle East to some emerging markets in Europe and Latin America, further enhancing the global reputation of "Chinese used cars." Taking the Russian market as an example, geopolitical factors led to the suspension of exports to Russia by European, American, and Japanese automakers, disrupting their domestic supply chains and creating a vast market for Chinese used cars. Tianjin Dongjiang seized the opportunity presented by the SCO Tianjin Summit, expanding its export reach to 80% of SCO member states, further broadening its export channels.
The African market, a "potential stock" for global used car imports, continues to experience strong demand. With a large population and extremely low car ownership (only 23 cars per 1,000 people), affordable and practical used cars are the preferred choice for local consumers. Furthermore, the long-standing friendly and mutually beneficial cooperative relationship between China and African countries has built a good bridge for used car exports. At the same time, the relatively young average age of African consumers and their purchasing power aligning with the positioning of used cars have led to a continuous increase in the acceptance of Chinese used cars in the African market. In addition, Southeast Asia has emerged as a new growth engine, becoming China's largest used car export market in 2023. By 2025, over 50% of Chinese used cars will be sold to Southeast Asia, making it the core growth region for China's used car exports.
II. Emerging Trends and Latest Policies in the Used Car Import and Export Market, 2025-2026
(I) Latest Policies: Standardization and Empowerment Go Hand in Hand, Leading the Industry to High-Quality Development
From the end of 2025 to the beginning of 2026, global used car import and export policies underwent significant adjustments, with China's policy optimization being the most significant. This not only standardized industry order but also empowered enterprises to expand overseas. In November 2025, four departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, jointly issued a notice to further strengthen the management of used car exports, explicitly controlling the export of new cars under the guise of used cars, standardizing the application and issuance of export licenses, and establishing a dynamic management and exit mechanism for enterprises. The notice clarified that from January 1, 2026, for vehicles exported within 180 days (including 180 days) of the registration date, enterprises must submit a "Confirmation Letter of After-Sales Repair Service" issued by the manufacturer, while also standardizing the information submitted for export licenses to ensure consistency with the "Motor Vehicle Registration Certificate." Furthermore, the policy also proposed strengthening the construction of an enterprise credit evaluation system, conducting daily supervision against the negative list, standardizing market competition order, and promoting the healthy and orderly development of used car exports. Meanwhile, China is also promoting the improvement of the used car export ecosystem. At the China Used Car Export Ecosystem Conference held in September 2025, a working group for used car agency sourcing was established to promote the construction of an agency vehicle sourcing platform, solve the problem of vehicle sourcing integration, and help the industry transform from quantitative to qualitative change.
With the intensification of market competition and the upgrading of consumer demand, the global used car export model has completely broken free from the limitations of a single trade model and is gradually transforming towards "system globalization." The exploration by Chinese enterprises is particularly prominent. Previously, enterprises focused mainly on "vehicle export" itself, lacking in-depth layout of overseas markets. Now, more and more enterprises are beginning to build a full-chain operation system, achieving a leap from "product export" to "ecosystem globalization." For example, CAR Inc. has established 29 domestic used car central warehouses and 5 port forward warehouses, and set up 6 overseas direct sales offices, covering more than 30 countries in the Middle East and Central Asia with 4,000 vehicles, creating a full-chain service of "pre-sale preparation - sales logistics - after-sales support"; some companies have partnered with high-quality domestic repair companies to go global, setting up service outlets in target markets, and exporting wear parts and repair kits to reduce overseas after-sales costs, building a three-in-one ecological closed loop of "vehicle sales - parts supply - service guarantee". In addition, standardization transformation has become a key focus. Companies are promoting the construction of "four same" (same year, same mileage, same condition, same price) vehicle sources to transform non-standard used cars into standard products, improving export efficiency and market trust.
The export categories of used cars have gradually shifted from the single pattern of traditional fuel passenger cars to "diversification and intelligence", with new energy used cars becoming the category with the greatest growth potential. With the global popularization of the "dual-carbon" concept and the maturation of the new energy vehicle market, China's exports of used new energy vehicles have continued to climb, especially plug-in hybrid models, with an export growth rate reaching 210% in 2025, becoming a new engine driving the growth of used car exports. Currently, China's used car exports have formed a pattern of "parallel development of fuel vehicles and new energy vehicles, coexistence of domestic and joint venture brands, and complementarity between passenger cars and commercial vehicles," encompassing both economical fuel vehicles that meet basic travel needs and new energy vehicles and commercial vehicles that cater to high-end demands. Simultaneously, personalized demand is driving the export of modified used cars, with some uniquely modified models gaining favor among overseas consumers, further enriching the export categories and promoting the transformation of export products from "cost-effectiveness-oriented" to "quality + personalization-oriented."
With the opening of the used car export market, global competition is becoming increasingly fierce, presenting a "pincer attack" situation. Domestically, the number of exporting companies surged from 47 to 3,000, leading to fierce competition among them in areas such as vehicle sourcing, pricing, and distribution channels. Internationally, China's used car exports still face competition from traditional export powerhouses like Japan and the United States, while some emerging countries are also gradually establishing used car export businesses, further intensifying market competition. Against this backdrop, differentiation has become crucial for companies' survival. They are focusing on niche markets, optimizing product structures, improving service quality, and strengthening brand building, driving the transformation of China's used car market from "price advantage" to "brand trust."
The supporting service system has continued to improve with the expansion of export volume, forming an ecosystem of collaborative efforts among government, industry, enterprises, and research institutions. Financial institutions have increased their support, launching targeted financing and credit services to alleviate the financial pressure on enterprises; insurance companies and extended warranty companies are exploring used car export warranty services to reduce the purchasing risks for overseas consumers; parts suppliers, refurbishment and inspection companies, and logistics and customs clearance companies are rapidly clustering, and a number of specialized used car export bases have emerged nationwide. Among them, Tianjin Dongjiang has built a "1+3+4" development system, improving the entire process of display and trading, refurbishment and inspection, etc., and has also established a national-level research and evaluation base for technical trade measures of automotive products, providing enterprises with integrated services such as regulatory research and risk warning. In addition, the China Automobile Dealers Association has led the establishment of a used car agency vehicle sourcing working group to promote the construction of a vehicle sourcing platform, achieving direct connection between "export enterprises and vehicle sourcing agencies," reducing intermediate costs, and solving the problem of vehicle sourcing integration.
In 2026, the global used car import and export market is at a critical juncture of policy standardization, structural reshaping, and trend iteration, with both opportunities and challenges. For used car export companies, it's crucial to thoroughly understand the latest policy guidelines, adhere to compliant operations, and accurately grasp market changes and emerging trends. This requires building core competitiveness through model innovation, product upgrades, and service optimization. Simultaneously, content creation must rely on core industry insights, integrate the latest data and dynamics, and completely break away from existing narrative logic. Avoiding direct quotations or imitations of existing blog content is essential to truly prevent plagiarism and create professional and unique industry content.
Leveraging industry trends and the latest policy benefits and market opportunities for 2025-2026, we utilize our years of experience in the used car export sector to integrate resources across the entire chain, including vehicle sourcing, logistics, customs clearance, and after-sales service, to provide clients with a one-stop solution for going global. We are familiar with the policies, regulations, and market demands of various countries, and are proficient in the entire process of used car export. At the same time, we keep up with industry trends, focusing on the export of new energy used cars and standardized institutional vehicle sources. We work with overseas service outlets to provide customers with comprehensive services from vehicle sourcing, preparation and inspection to cross-border logistics and after-sales support. This helps customers avoid industry risks, seize the global market, and achieve steady development in the face of fierce industry competition.
Company Name: Jingsun Car Co., Ltd
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