China February Auto Sales Jump 4.5 Percent

VOA Breaking News (Voice of America)
March 9, 2011 at 4:10 pm

Chinese manufacturing officials say car sales in China — the world's largest auto market — rose more than 4.5 percent in February from a year ago, with nearly 1.3 million vehicles sold.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) say those sales, combined with January's total, represent a nearly 10 percent increase over the same period in 2010.

Despite the sales boom, an association statement Wednesday said sales are expected to slow this year, largely because of rising gasoline prices and local measures aimed at restricting the number of cars clogging Chinese roads. Analysts say sales dropped in February from the previous month, largely due to Chinese New Year's observances.

China overtook the United States in 2009 to become the world's largest car market.