China's auto industry revenue reached 5.19 trillion yuan in the first half of 2026, up 1.8% year on year, while costs rose 2.8% to 4.61 trillion yuan, according to Cui Dongshu, head of the China Passenger Car Association's sub-committee. Industry profit slumped 20% to 195.4 billion yuan, with a profit margin of 3.8%, still well below the 6.5% average for downstream industrial enterprises.