Key Takeaways
- Chinese car brands captured 7.8% of the UK market in September, up from less than 1% a year ago.
- 24,357 vehicles were sold by ten Chinese brands, a tenfold increase from September 2024.
- Critics accuse the UK government of giving Chinese makers a ‘free pass’ with zero tariffs, unlike the US and EU.
Ministers are facing accusations of handing Chinese car manufacturers a ‘free pass’ to flood Britain with cheap imports, as new data reveals a dramatic surge in their market share. Industry figures show sales from ten Chinese brands skyrocketed to 24,357 vehicles in September, a key month boosted by new number plates.
This represents a more than tenfold increase from the 2,347 cars sold by just three brands in September 2024, pushing the Chinese market share to 7.8% from under 1% a year prior. These figures do not even include MG, a formerly British brand now Chinese-owned, which sold an additional 14,577 vehicles in the UK that same month.
Policy Creates ‘Unfair Advantage’
The shift to electric vehicles has accelerated demand for new Chinese entrants, who dominate the global EV market. While the US and EU have erected steep tariff barriers (100% and up to 35% respectively), Britain has not, leaving its industry exposed to potential dumping.
Professor Jim Saker, president of the Institute of the Motor Industry, stated that UK car makers are at a direct disadvantage. “China’s market penetration was a ‘direct result of UK Government policy’,” he said.
He explained that UK EV sales quotas penalise established manufacturers like Toyota, Ford, Vauxhall, and JLR, who have invested in the UK for decades. “The Chinese manufacturers are being given a free pass into the UK with no responsibility to invest here. This appears to be what the British Government wants,” Saker added.
New Brands Gain Rapid Ground
Brands like BYD, Jaecoo, and Omoda are becoming common sights. BYD sold 11,271 vehicles in September, nearly matching Vauxhall’s 12,120. Jaecoo, which sold no cars a year earlier, saw 6,489 units driven off forecourts, securing a 2% market share.
However, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) defended the UK’s open market. SMMT boss Mike Hawes said, “UK buyers benefit from a choice of more than 50 brands from around the world, and Britain has long been a competitive market welcoming global manufacturers.” He noted that Chinese brands comprise “one in 12” new car sales in 2025 and emphasised that “free and fair trade is the foundation of the UK industry’s success.”
