Nigeria driving growth in used-car exports

Jimmy Ebi Patrick, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Embassy of Nigeria in China, is eager to expand the volume and scope of business between Nigeria and China.

While meeting the CEO of Chinese company CAR Inc in Beijing, Patrick stressed that with the growth of infrastructure and transport in his country, high-quality used cars from China will largely contribute to the modernization process of Nigeria's transport industry.

On Feb 3, the Embassy of Nigeria appointed CAR Inc CEO Gao Dewu as a designated representative of the embassy, and specially invited CAR Inc to become its official designated car rental service provider.

Gao said the event reflects the Nigerian government's trust in the Chinese automobile circulation system, and his company will contribute to China-Nigeria economic and trade cooperation.

He noted that in the future, CAR Inc looks forward to making Nigeria an important fulcrum in promoting Chinese used cars from scale-based exports to quality-based and service-based exports.

Since China initiated the pilot program for used-car exports in 2019, such business has shown strong growth momentum, with Luo Lei, vice-president of the China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), noting that China's used-car exports are currently in a golden period due to policy dividends and the rapid growth of the market.

With over 400 million vehicles in the automotive fleet, a mature supply chain system and cost-effective model options, China's used-car exports have a solid foundation, Luo said.

Meanwhile, China's used-car exports also need to forge a collaborative development framework guided by the government, driven by enterprises and empowered by industrial associations.

By implementing standardized and internationalized service systems, overseas market barriers can be overcome, forming a more competitive global used-car circulation network, he said.

Huang Ruoyu, president of CADA's used-car export branch, said that China's used-car exports were expected to reach 600,000 units being sent to more than 160 countries and regions in 2025, with market share in Southeast Asia surpassing 50 percent, up from 436,000 units in 2024.

There are some 3,000 secondhand car dealers in China, he revealed.

On Nov 14, 2025, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the General Administration of Customs jointly issued a notice on further strengthening the management of used-car exports, which the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) says is of strategic significance in the internationalization of China's automobile industry.

CAAM said currently, China's internationalization of automobiles has achieved remarkable results worldwide, with Chinese enterprises placing growing emphasis on overseas market expansion.

In releasing the 2025 automobile export data recently, CAAM said China's automobile exports reached a record high of 7.098 million units in 2025, marking a 21.1 percent year-on-year hike.

CAR Inc noted that as China's used-car export scale continues to expand, how to build a sound service guarantee system overseas has become a decisive factor for Chinese enterprises to shift from "going global" to "taking root".

Gao said that 2025 is an important node for CAR Inc in bolstering used-car exports, with its annual export volume reaching 3,100 units.

He stressed that in the increasingly competitive global used-car market, CAR Inc not only exported high-quality second-hand cars to target nations, but also introduced mature testing standards, sales service systems and after-sales experience to local areas, forming a complete service chain covering vehicle preparation, quality inspection, cross-border logistics, destination delivery and after-sales support.

At present, among the more than 20 countries and regions covered by CAR Inc's businesses, Nigeria is not only one of the largest export destinations, but is also regarded as the most potential core market of the future, Gao said.

The long-term local demand in Nigeria for cost-effective, reliable and durable models is highly consistent with the advantages that Chinese used cars provide in terms of product structure, service life and supply scale.

The dual recognition of CAR Inc by the Nigerian Embassy in China not only reflects the high affirmation of its comprehensive strength, but also shows the positive attitude of the Nigerian government toward China's mature automobile circulation and travel service system, Gao said.

Gao added that with the continuous growth of China-Nigeria cooperation, CAR Inc will continue to play a leading role in widening business in Nigeria and the broader African market, providing a replicable sample for the globalization of China's used-car industry.

hanjingyan@chinadaily.com.cn