In the January-May period this year, heavy truck sales (including chassis and tractors) in China amounted to 538,000 units, up 22.0 percent year on year, according to the preliminary data issued by cvworld.cn, a Chinese auto industry information service provider.
In May alone, heavy truck sales in China amounted to 103,000 units, down 12.0 percent month on month, while increasing by 16.0 percent year on year, which was the highest level in a month of May in the past five years, though the year-on-year rise signaled a slowdown compared to the rises of 25 percent recorded in March and 33 percent in April. The year-on-year increase in May showed the impact of the peak season for sales, while major heavy truck factories cut their prices to reduce inventory levels. Meanwhile, the geopolitical crisis in the Middle East exerted a negative impact on heavy truck exports in May.