Automotive exports connect vehicle production with overseas demand, but the measurement depends on whether a source counts vehicles, reports customs value, or describes production capacity. The figures below focus mainly on 2024, with explicit geography, definitions and year-over-year comparisons.
Key Automotive Export Statistics
The most useful headline figures are:
- More than 6.6 million vehicles were exported annually by the EU automobile industry, according to the ACEA summary figure reported in 2024.
- EU automotive exports generated a €106.7 billion trade surplus in the annual ACEA figure reported in 2024.
- Japan exported 4.217 million four-wheeled vehicles in 2024, based on JAMA domestic new-vehicle shipment records.
- Japan exported 3.82 million passenger cars in 2024, down 4.0% from the previous year.
- Japan exported 298,000 trucks in 2024, down 12.6% year over year.
- Japan exported 99,000 buses in 2024, down 4.2% year over year.
- EU new-car exports to the United Kingdom totaled 1,252,672 vehicles in 2024.
- EU new-car exports to the United States totaled 749,166 vehicles in 2024.
- EU new-car exports to China totaled 271,470 vehicles in 2024.
- The United States represented 24.9% of EU new-car export value in 2024.
- The United Kingdom represented 27.5% of EU new-car export volume in 2024.
- EU new-car export value to China fell 25.5% in 2024 compared with 2023.
- Global van production reached 13,945,863 units in 2024, covering commercial vans up to 6 tonnes.
- North American van production reached 4,115,578 units in 2024.
- U.S. vehicle exports to APEC were worth $105.4 billion in 2024, using a two-digit HS vehicle category.
- Japan’s automotive export value was ¥22.5 trillion in 2024, up 3.8% from 2023.
Contents
- Global automotive export scale and trade role
- Japan automotive export statistics by vehicle type and destination
- EU new-car export data by destination and trade value
- EU automotive export trends in major markets
- Commercial-vehicle production trends shaping exports
- U.S. vehicle exports within APEC trade
Global Automotive Export Scale and Trade Role
The EU figures show why automotive exports are important to the region’s trade position. ACEA reports that the EU automobile industry exports more than 6.6 million vehicles per year and generates a €106.7 billion trade surplus; the first is an estimate-like annual summary, while the second is an observed trade-surplus measure.
Source: ACEA, “EU vehicle exports: main destinations”.
These measures should not be treated as identical. The 6.6-million figure is a vehicle count for the automobile industry, while the surplus summarizes motor-vehicle trade and is not limited to passenger cars.
The destination data below narrows the scope to EU new-car exports in 2024. That distinction matters because new-car export tables do not represent every exported vehicle type or the full motor-vehicle trade balance.
Japan Automotive Export Statistics by Vehicle Type and Destination
JAMA recorded 4.217 million exported four-wheeled vehicles from Japan in 2024. Its vehicle-type breakdown shows passenger cars dominating the count, while trucks and buses made smaller contributions.
| Vehicle type | Japan exports in 2024 | Year-over-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars | 3.82 million | -4.0% |
| Trucks | 298,000 | -12.6% |
| Buses | 99,000 | -4.2% |
| Four-wheeled total | 4.217 million | Vehicle-type records |
Source: JAMA, “Four-wheeled vehicles: production, sales and exports”.
JAMA’s export counts refer to domestic new-vehicle shipment records by four-wheeled manufacturers. The long-run series excludes KD sets, and its classifications differ from Japan Customs measures.
JAMA’s 2024 destination groupings were as follows:
- North America received 1.601 million four-wheeled vehicles from Japan; JAMA’s grouping includes the United States.
- Europe received 663,000 four-wheeled vehicles; the JAMA note says Europe includes the EU.
- Asia received 583,000 four-wheeled vehicles.
- The Middle East received 526,000 four-wheeled vehicles.
- Oceania received 473,000 four-wheeled vehicles.
- Central and South America received 265,000 four-wheeled vehicles.
- Africa received 96,000 four-wheeled vehicles.
The destination categories are not a customs-value ranking, and they should not be compared directly with EU destination shares measured by new-car export value or volume. They are JAMA vehicle counts for 2024 and use the organization’s regional definitions.
EU New-Car Export Data by Destination and Trade Value
Eurostat data reproduced by ACEA provides two complementary views of EU new-car exports in 2024: the number of vehicles shipped and the value recorded in trade statistics. The leading destinations differ depending on which measure is used.
| Destination | New cars exported | Export value |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1,252,672 | €33,306 million |
| United States | 749,166 | €38,463 million |
| Türkiye | 579,841 | €11,879 million |
| China | 271,470 | €14,419 million |
| Switzerland | 178,276 | €6,871 million |
Source: ACEA, “Economic and Market Report: Global and EU auto industry – Full year 2024”, Eurostat Tables 9–10.
The United Kingdom represented 27.5% of EU new-car export volume, followed by the United States at 16.5%, Türkiye at 12.7%, China at 6.0% and Switzerland at 3.9%. By export value, the United States accounted for 24.9%, the United Kingdom 21.5% and China 9.3%.
The difference between volume and value is visible in the United States position: it received fewer new cars than the United Kingdom, but its recorded export value was higher. These are trade-value and new-car-volume measures, not a calculation of average vehicle prices.
EU Automotive Export Trends in Major Markets
The 2024 comparison with 2023 shows declines in both export value and volume for most of the listed destinations. The United Kingdom is the exception on value, where the recorded increase was accompanied by a smaller decline in vehicle volume.
| Destination | Value change, 2024 vs. 2023 | Volume change, 2024 vs. 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| United States | -4.6% | -6.2% |
| United Kingdom | +2.0% | -2.2% |
| China | -25.5% | -24.2% |
| Türkiye | -7.5% | -5.0% |
| Switzerland | -9.9% | -11.9% |
Source: ACEA, “Economic and Market Report: Global and EU auto industry – Full year 2024”, Eurostat Tables 9–10.
China had the sharpest decline among the destinations listed: new-car export value fell 25.5%, while export volume fell 24.2% from 2023 to 2024. The United States also declined on both measures, with value down 4.6% and volume down 6.2%.
The United Kingdom’s results show why value and volume should remain separate. Its export value rose 2.0% even as the number of new cars fell 2.2%, according to the cited Eurostat measures.
Commercial-Vehicle Production Trends Shaping Automotive Exports
Production is context for export capacity, not an export count. ACEA’s commercial-vehicle series covers vans up to 6 tonnes, while truck and bus series use separate definitions.
| Region or market | Van production in 2024 | Change from 2023 where supplied |
|---|---|---|
| Global | 13,945,863 | -4.6% |
| Europe | 2,726,546 | Not supplied |
| North America | 4,115,578 | +3.9% |
| Asia | 5,938,233 | -9.3% |
| China | 3,105,447 | Not supplied |
| Japan | 781,875 | Not supplied |
Source: ACEA, “Economic and Market Report: Global and EU auto industry – Full year 2024”, Tables 12–13.
Global van production decreased 4.6% in 2024. North American production moved in the opposite direction, increasing 3.9%, while Asian production decreased 9.3%.
The truck series also points to uneven regional movement. Global truck production decreased 4.0% in 2024, while South American truck production increased 37.1%; these are production trends and do not measure exported trucks.
U.S. Vehicle Exports Within APEC Trade
The U.S. Trade Representative reports that U.S. vehicle exports to APEC were worth $105.4 billion in 2024. Vehicles were the fourth-largest listed U.S. export category to APEC, using two-digit HS categories, so the measure is broader than passenger-car exports alone.
Source: U.S. Trade Representative, “U.S.-APEC Trade Facts”.
APEC provides a broad trade setting for the vehicle figure. U.S. goods exports to APEC totaled $1,234.3 billion in 2024, increased 2.0% from 2023 to 2024, and were 23% higher in 2024 than in 2014.
APEC accounted for 60.2% of overall U.S. exports in 2024. The surrounding U.S.-APEC figures cover all goods rather than automotive exports alone, so they describe the market context rather than a vehicle-specific trend.
USTR also estimated that U.S. goods exports to APEC supported 3.8 million jobs in 2022. This is the latest year stated in that fact sheet and refers to all goods exports, not vehicles alone.
Japan’s customs-value data adds a separate value-based perspective. JAMA reports automotive export value of ¥22.5 trillion in 2024, up 3.8% from 2023, while automotive imports were ¥3.3 trillion; the export and import values use different customs valuation bases.
JAMA also reports ¥71.5991 trillion in Japanese automotive manufacturing shipments in 2023, up 14.0% from 2022. Manufacturing shipments are broader than exports, cover establishments with four or more employees under the cited definition, and represented 19.2% of all manufacturing shipments in Japan in 2023.
Source: JAMA, “Automobile manufacturing as a core industry”.