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"Price talks": China could overtake Japan, become NZ's largest source of car imports

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 12 May 2026, 8:42am
Photo / Alex Burton
Photo / Alex Burton

"Price talks": China could overtake Japan, become NZ's largest source of car imports

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 12 May 2026, 8:42am

China could soon overtake Japan as our largest source of car imports. 

A new report from the Motor Trade Association shows sales of new Chinese models is doubling each year. 

That's due in part to more sales of electric vehicles, which are forecast to make up half of all new light vehicle registrations by 2035. 

MTA CEO Lee Marshall told Mike Hosking as long as price talks, it’ll start to influence where cars are coming from. 

He says price is a loud consideration in the value equation, and although it’s by no means the only one, it’ll continue to talk. 

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