Moroccans have never bought so many Chinese cars

After several months of strong growth, the Moroccan automobile market is beginning to slow. In August, 14 979 new vehicles were registered, including passenger cars and commercial vehicles, just 0.9% more than a year earlier, according to the latest statistics published by the Association of Vehicle Importers in Morocco (AIVAM).

The reversal is more pronounced for passenger cars. Their sales fell to 12 716 units, down 2.2% compared with August 2025. This is the first monthly decline recorded in 2026, whereas in June the market was still growing by 16.7%.

Light commercial vehicles nevertheless kept the automobile market as a whole from falling into negative territory. Their registrations surged by 22.1%, to 2 263 units in August.

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This slowdown does not yet call into question the strong growth recorded since January. During the first eight months of the year, 167 465 vehicles were registered in Morocco, 14.2% more than during the same period in 2025. Passenger cars accounted for 147 603 units, up 13.5%.

But behind this general slowdown, one category continues to accelerate at a spectacular pace: Chinese brands.

Chinese cars exceed 15% of the market in August

The 21 Chinese brands tracked in the sector’s statistics sold 1 935 passenger cars in August, 82.7% more than a year earlier. They thus reached 15.2% of the Moroccan passenger-car market for the month, a level never recorded before.

In other words, nearly one in six new passenger cars registered in Morocco in August was a Chinese brand.

BYD led the Chinese manufacturers with 283 cars sold during the month. Changan followed with 205 units, ahead of Chery (193), MG (190) and Soueast (185). Exeed, Geely and Deepal also exceeded 100 monthly registrations.

The progress is even more apparent over time. Since January, Chinese manufacturers have already sold 17 096 passenger cars in Morocco. They now control 11.6% of the market, whereas their share was still close to 5% during the same period last year.

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Traditional brands nevertheless remain well ahead individually. Dacia sold 2 526 cars in August and retained nearly 20% of the market, ahead of Renault with 1 816 units. But the two brands declined by 4.5% and 18%, respectively, year on year. Hyundai, Peugeot, Opel and Kia also recorded declines.

This surge comes as Chinese manufacturers are already rapidly gaining ground in the Moroccan market. However, August’s result marks a new milestone: they are no longer benefiting solely from overall sales growth. Their market share reached a record at the very moment when passenger-car sales declined.