By He Linping
“These vehicles are bound for Dubai in the UAE,” he said, resting his palm on a car hood and glancing toward the port’s seaward exit.
Covering more than 1.6 million square meters, the Nansha Automobile Terminal is the largest Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) port facility in South China. The cars Xu was inspecting were neatly parked and in excellent condition. At first glance, it’s hard to tell they are second-hand, apart from the paperwork attached to their windshields.
“Unlike new cars, which must be sold through authorized dealership networks, pre-owned vehicles bypass those constraints. That’s where our advantage kicks in,” Xu explained.
Since China launched its used car export pilot program in 2019, export volumes have steadily climbed. Global-Ucar was among the initial 40 licensed exporters nationwide. “Chinese pre-owned vehicles are affordable, durable, and reliable, which makes them popular among international buyers,” Xu added.
Global-Ucar’s vehicle registration service station serves as the first stop for vehicles destined for export. “Through coordinated efforts with local commerce and public security departments, we’ve established a one-stop service center for used car exports,” said Jiang Hong, who works at the station.
“Once vehicles arrive, we handle information registration and ownership transfers in the main hall. Then, the cars move to the inspection zone for third-party testing,” Jiang added.
To support the sector’s development, Guangzhou customs, under guidance from the General Administration of Customs of China, has optimized its regulatory processes. Measures like online customs clearance appointments, pre-declarations, on-arrival inspections, and on-arrival direct loading have helped lower operating costs and significantly improve efficiency. Dedicated customs personnel expedite review procedures for exporting enterprises.
Once all the vehicles bound for Dubai had arrived at the port, the entire export process was completed in less than a day.
With all these streamlined measures in place, Ro-Ro ships can now dock, load, and depart almost instantly, said Lu Runsheng, the operations supervisor at the Nansha Automobile Terminal.
“The 200 vehicles have shipped as planned and should arrive at Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai in about two weeks. Please be ready to receive them,” wrote Yu Wenxin, a business coordinator at Global-Ucar, in a message to the Dubai client.
“Fantastic—your efficiency is truly impressive!” the buyer responded.
As one of China’s largest automobile-producing and used car trading provinces, Guangdong boasts a mature market and abundant vehicle supply. In fact, China’s first-ever used car export transaction was completed by a Guangdong-based firm in July 2019. The order worthed $2.5 million and consisted of 300 vehicles shipped in batches from Nansha Port to destinations such as Cambodia, Nigeria, Myanmar and Russia.
Exporting used vehicles is a complex project that spans multiple sectors. It requires coordinated efforts between government and enterprises, robust policy support, long-term market development, and a well-structured supply chain.
Since 2019, Guangzhou has steadily advanced its used car export business by improving services, regulating market practices, expanding international reach, and setting industry standards. Today, over 200 companies in Guangzhou are involved in used car exports or related services.
In 2024, the Nansha Automobile Terminal exported 248,500 vehicles via Ro-Ro ships, up 38.5 percent year on year. Among them, 33,486 were pre-owned vehicles, with a total export value of 3.99 billion yuan ($546.99 million), an increase of 251 percent in volume and 239 percent in value over the previous year.
At BLJ used vehicle market, Guangzhou’s largest secondhand car trading hub, foreign buyers are a common sight.
“With government policies supporting scrappage and vehicle replacement, a large number of high-quality pre-owned vehicles are entering the market,” said Liu Hongbo, the market’s deputy general manager.
“International buyers, especially those interested in new energy vehicles, are showing strong demand. Many are placing orders without hesitation,” Liu told People’s Daily.
In December 2024, Guangzhou launched its first used car export service base, which spans 20,400 square meters and is divided into 11 functional zones. The facility offers comprehensive, one-stop services, including vehicle preparation, new car registration, inspections, car exhibition, warehousing, logistics, and transaction handling, effectively creating a full-chain service system for used car exports.
In 2025, Guangzhou’s export policy for used vehicles will be further upgraded, streamlining the parallel export process even more.
“This is great news for businesses like ours,” Xu Xiaoqing said. “It will inject fresh momentum into Guangzhou’s export market and enhance the overall strength of China’s auto export sector.”
Pre-owned vehicles are loaded onto a ship for export.
Border inspection officers at the Nansha checkpoint supervise used vehicles scheduled for export.
