1. Policy Highlights
On May 19, 2026, the Ministry of Commerce issued the "Notice on Facilitating Used Car Exports to Central Asia (Draft for Comments)", including:
I. Licensing Simplification - Shift from "approval system" to "notification commitment system" for export enterprise registration - Separate Central Asia export qualification, decoupled from Europe/America assessments - New enterprise registration cycle compressed from 60 days to 15 working days
II. Unified Inspection Standards - Dedicated "Central Asia Edition" inspection standards distinct from the European/American versions - Key test items: cold-weather adaptability, high-altitude performance, sandstorm durability - Inspection reports mutually recognized across the five Central Asian countries
III. Destination Country Mutual Recognition - Bilateral memoranda with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan - Chinese export inspection certificates directly valid for destination country registration - Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan included in second-round mutual recognition negotiations
2. Market Background
China's used car exports to Central Asia have grown rapidly, but "zero-km used car" gray operations have been rampant. Some traders exported domestic new cars as used cars to low-tariff countries like Kyrgyzstan, then re-exported to Russia to evade high scrappage taxes and tariffs. After Russia closed the parallel import loophole in 2024, this channel shrank dramatically, but the need for standardization became more urgent.
In 2025, China's total used car exports reached 520,000 units, with Central Asia accounting for ~35% (180,000 units). However, formal channels represented only 60%, with gray channels still at 40%.
3. Impact of Facilitation Measures
Short-term (6-12 months): - Compliant enterprise export costs reduced by 15-20% - Gray channel survival space narrowed, market share concentrating in leading enterprises
Medium-term (1-2 years): - Chinese used cars establish brand recognition in Central Asia - After-sales parts supply chain matures
Long-term (3-5 years): - Used car exports may become the second growth engine after new car exports - Drives automotive finance, insurance, logistics services outbound
4. Expert Commentary
Automotive industry expert Zhao Yang noted: "Facilitating used car exports is not encouraging 'zero-km used car' operations, but bringing the entire export process under transparent regulation. Real demand for Chinese used cars exists in Central Asia — consumers in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan need 3-5 year old Chinese brand used cars priced at 50,000-80,000 CNY."
5. Outlook
The implementation of facilitation measures will bring institutional dividends to compliant enterprises. EX1000.COM has opened a dedicated used car export service channel for Central Asia, providing one-stop support including qualification matching, destination country policy consultation, and buyer matching.
