China Auto Sales Tumbled in January, Coronavirus Seen Taking Heavy Toll

China Auto Sales Tumbled in January, Coronavirus Seen Taking Heavy Toll
A carrier trailer transports newly manufactured cars at a port in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China on May 21, 2019. Reuters
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BEIJING/SHANGHAI—China’s vehicle sales likely fell by almost a fifth in January, marking a 19th consecutive month of decline, hurt by Lunar New Year holidays that started earlier than last year and by the coronavirus outbreak.

The outbreak will hit auto sales and production hard in the short term, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said, predicting competition in the industry would get fiercer and some smaller parts suppliers could collapse.