South Korea's Total Auto Exports Reached $6.17 Billion in April, Down 5.5% YoY

Ford Motor Company announced that it will launch a comprehensive product and technology strategy in Europe over the next three years. Under this new strategy, its FordPro division will transform from a pure automaker into a productivity partner, leveraging software and services to maximize returns. Ford plans to launch five all-new passenger vehicles in Europe by the end of 2029, all manufactured in Europe.

Cui Dongshu, Secretary General of the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA),stated that the national passenger vehicle industry inventory stood at 3.54 million units at the end of April, up 90,000 units MoM and up 40,000 units compared to April 2025, forming a trend of sustained inventory growth. Among this, manufacturer inventory accounted for 29.8%, which was relatively high. The April forecast optimism was 36%, and the post-April satisfaction in early May was 7%. Expectations were low but satisfaction was even worse, mainly due to the significant impact of high oil prices. The team's optimism for the May market dropped to 27%, which was a relatively low level in recent market optimism assessments. Even after repeated downward adjustments, expectations have yet to turn more optimistic.

On May 20, Cui Dongshu, Secretary General of the CPCA (China Passenger Car Association), stated that looking ahead, as automakers ramp up sales promotions and the volume push window opens in late May, retail sales are expected to rebound again, with the monthly YoY decline likely narrowing compared to the first ten days of the month. Meanwhile, the market divergence trend will continue, with new energy vehicles and low-priced entry-level car models still expected to outperform traditional internal combustion engine vehicles and mid-to-high-end joint venture brands.