China to lead U.S. 'long time' as No.1 auto market

Published: 29 Oct 2009 19:34:15 PST

Shanghai, October 29 (Gasgoo.com) China will lead the U.S. for a "long time" as the world's biggest auto market, where demand will grow next year even as stimulus measures are reduced, said Nick Reilly, General Motors' international operations president, Bloomberg reported.

Vehicle sales in China, the world's most populous nation of over 1.3 billion, may increase to more than 13 million units next year from about 12.5 million in 2009, Reilly told reporters in Seoul yesterday. "I don't see the U.S. being anywhere near that," he said.

Earlier this year, the Chinese government cut vehicle taxes and introduced auto subsidies in rural areas to boost demand. In the first nine months, 9.7 million vehicles were sold in China, up 34.24% year-on-year and exceeding total auto sales of last year. September sales rose 77.88% to a record 1.3 million units.

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