Retail sales of new passenger vehicles declined 6 percent in China last month, ending a market recovery that hit five straight months, according to a preliminary tally from the China Automobile Dealers Association.
Some 1.7 million new sedans, crossovers, SUVs and multi-purpose vehicles were delivered in November to customers across the country, the trade group said on Wednesday.
Volume also skidded eight percent from the previous month, it added.
CADA blamed the decline on strict measures undertaken by local governments across China to counter spiking coronavirus infections.
More than 40 percent of new-car dealerships had to suspend operation for some time in November due to lockdowns, CADA noted.
In addition to government anti-pandemic measures, the prolonged shortage of semiconductor chips has continued to curb sales at carmakers.
Nissan Motor Co. said its November retail sales in China tumbled 53 percent to 47,983, with year-to-date volume slipping 20 percent to 974,715.
“Ongoing shortage of chips and components, along with lockdowns of key cities amid a more severe coronavirus outbreak, has persistently affected sales of the company,” Shohei Yamazaki, Nissan’s China chief, said in a statement.
Last month, Honda Motor Co.’s China deliveries plunged 43 percent to 78,126. Through November, Honda’s local volume dropped 11 percent to 1.23 million.