On February 3, the Embassy of Nigeria appointed CAR Inc. CEO Gao Dewu as Designated Representative of the embassy, and specially invited CAR Inc. to become its official designated car rental service provider.
Eager to expand the Nigeria-China business, Jimmy Patrick Ebi, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of Nigeria in China, met with Gao in Beijing to discuss the matter. Ebi stressed that with the growth of infrastructure and transport in Nigeria, high-quality used cars from China and professional management will largely contribute to the modernization process of Nigeria's transport industry.
Gao said that the event reflected the Nigerian government’s trust in Chinese automobile circulation system, and his company will contribute to China-Nigeria economic and trade cooperation. He noted that in the future, CAR Inc. looks forward to taking Nigeria as an important fulcrum to promote Chinese used cars from scale-based export to quality-based and service-based export.
Since China initiated the pilot program for used car exports in 2019, such business has shown strong growth momentum. Luo Lei, vice-president of the China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), noted that China’s used car exports are currently in a golden period due to policy dividends and market explosion.
"With over 400 million vehicles in the automotive fleet, a mature supply chain system, and cost-effective model options, China's used-car exports have a solid foundation," Luo said. "Meanwhile, China’s used car exports also need to forge a collaborative development framework guided by the government, driven by enterprises, and empowered by industrial associations. By implementing standardized and internationalized service systems, overseas market barriers can be overcome, forming a more competitive global used-car circulation network," he said.
The Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the General Administration of Customs jointly issued a notice on Nov. 14, 2025 that strengthened the management of used-car exports, which the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said is of strategic significance in the internationalization of China’s automobile industry.
According to automobile export data that CAAM release in 2025, China’s internationalization of automobiles has achieved remarkable results worldwide, with Chinese enterprises placing growing emphasis on overseas market expansion. It shows that China’s automobile exports reached a record high of 7.098 million units in 2025, marking a 21.1% year-on-year hike.
CAR Inc. noted that as China’s used car export scale continued to expand, building a sound service guarantee system overseas has become a decisive factor for Chinese enterprises to shift from “going global” to “taking root.”
Gao said that 2025 was an important node for CAR Inc. in bolstering used-car exports, with its annual export volume reaching 3,100 units. He stressed that in the increasingly competitive global used-car market, CAR Inc. not only exported high-quality second-hand cars to targeting nations, but also introduced mature testing standards, sales service systems, and after-sales experience to the local areas, forming a complete service chain covering vehicle preparation, quality inspection, cross-border logistics, destination delivery and after-sales support.
"At present, among the more than 20 countries and regions covered by CAR Inc.’s businesses, Nigeria is not only one of the largest export destinations, but also regarded as the most potential core market in the future," Gao said. "The long-term local demand in Nigeria for cost-effective, reliable, and durable models is highly consistent with the advantages of Chinese used cars in product structure, service life, and supply scale. The dual recognition of CAR Inc. by the Nigerian Embassy in China not only reflects the high affirmation of its comprehensive strength, but also showed the positive attitude of the Nigerian government towards China’s mature automobile circulation and travel service system," Gao said.
With the continued growth of China-Nigeria cooperation, Gao affirmed CAR Inc. will continue to play a leading role in widening businesses in Nigeria and the broader African market, providing a replicable sample for the globalization of China’s used-car industry.
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Fei Zhao
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