- Chinese auto production for passenger cars fell 37.7% in the first quarter of 2020, compared to the first quarter of 2019 which had already decreased by 13.3% compared to the first quarter of 2018. However, April returned to April 2019 level, thanks to local demand which restarted at the same time. Car sales in China rebounded in April, with sales volume roughly matching that of April 2019.

- The coronavirus crisis indeed affected China sooner than Europe or the United States, so it was in February that sales and production bottomed out in China, while Europe or the United States States hit rock bottom two months later.

- As a result, Chinese factories restarted in March and this restart intensified in April and the coming months should be at the same level as the same months of 2019.

- All in all, 2020 should end with a 10% drop in sales and auto production in China. It will still be the third drop in three years. Between 2018 and 2020, car sales and production in China will have lost 20% of their volume, while this country, still under-motorized, was promised a decade ago to an uninterrupted growth in car sales and production.

- Note that replenishment of stocks is currently not necessary in China because the production volume was very close to the sales volume between January and April 2020.