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Chinese vehicles are relatively immune from the United States' tariff impacts due to the limited number of such direct exports to the US and nearly nonexistent sales of domestic brands in that market, said Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association.

中国乘用车协会秘书长崔东树表示，由于中国对美直接出口汽车数量有限且自主品牌在当地市场销量近乎空白，中国汽车受美国加征关税的影响相对有限。

Cui highlighted the strong growth potential of Chinese autos in other markets. He stressed the need for Chinese automakers to strengthen partnerships with companies from Belt and Road Initiative-involved regions and southern hemisphere areas.

崔指出，中国汽车在其他市场展现出强劲增长潜力，他强调中国汽车制造商需深化与"一带一路"沿线地区及南半球区域企业之间的合作。

Specifically, Cui said promoting the use of small-sized electric vehicles in those markets is key to addressing demand for navigating narrow streets due to inadequate infrastructure development in certain regions.

崔东树特别指出，在基础设施发展相对滞后的区域市场，推广小型电动汽车应用是破解狭窄街巷通行需求的关键所在。

"Currently, China's efforts in advancing the BRI have been fruitful, and there is strong demand for automobiles in these regions. There is substantial potential for gasoline-powered Chinese vehicles by ramping up the export of these products. Promoting plug-in hybrid models will also unlock tremendous opportunities due to cost-effectiveness and energy-efficiency," he said.

"当前中国'一带一路'建设成效显著，这些地区汽车消费需求旺盛。通过扩大传统燃油车出口，中国车企仍有巨大市场空间。此外，插电式混合动力车型凭借其成本效益与节能优势，也将释放巨大市场机遇。"

Cui, citing data from the General Administration of Customs, said China exported only 116,138 vehicles to the US in 2024, accounting for a mere 1.81 percent of China's total auto exports.

崔表示，根据海关总署的数据，2024年中国仅向美国出口了116,138辆汽车，占中国汽车出口总量的1.81%。

In contrast, the so-called reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US have a more significant impact on European, Japanese and South Korean automakers. Huatai Securities predicts that the 25 percent additional tariffs imposed by the US will affect 20 percent of direct exports from Japan and South Korea, and 30 percent of direct exports from German automakers, translating to an estimated sales impact of approximately 270,000, 200,000, and 160,000 vehicles, respectively, in 2025.

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