· Japanese car dealers generally welcome China to lower import tariffs on imported cars

In view of the Chinese government's decision to cut import tariffs, Toyota Motor Corporation said on May 22 that it will cut prices with the premium brand "Lexus" as the center. The decline will be decided by the end of May. Subaru companies who did not produce in China also expressed "welcome", and Japanese automakers generally presented a welcome atmosphere.

According to a report by the Kyodo News Agency on May 23, the Toyota Public Relations Department commented: "The price of imported cars will be rapidly reduced, and we are committed to providing competitive products to Chinese consumers." Toyota moved from Japan to China in 2017. Exported 146,000 cars. Most of them are Lexus, which accounts for about 130,000 vehicles. The price cuts also include the high-end commercial vehicle "Elfa", etc., or will further stimulate Chinese consumers' demand for high-end cars.

However, Japanese manufacturers are committed to local production and strive to expand sales, which may have limited impact on performance.

In 2017, the sales volume of new cars in China was close to 1.52 million, and the number of cars exported by Japan by Nissan Motor Co., which ranked first in Japanese cars, accounted for less than 1%. Exports to China are only some of the high-end car brands such as Infiniti, and the brand is also promoting local production.

Honda’s strategy is to increase sales by locally producing cars and sports utility vehicles (SUVs) designed to suit Chinese preferences. Mitsubishi Motors' local production also helped it recover from fuel efficiency violations.

Including the European and American manufacturers, the sales competition in the Chinese market is increasingly fierce, and lowering tariffs may exacerbate this competition.