Chinese cars in the Philippines: which brands sell there and since when
Facts checked
The Philippines has almost no local vehicle assembly and imports nearly everything it sells, which makes it unusually easy for a new brand to enter. It also removed the tariff. Executive Order No. 12, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on 13 January 2023, temporarily cut the most-favoured-nation import duty to zero on completely built-up electric passenger cars, buses, minibuses, vans, trucks, motorcycles, tricycles, scooters and bicycles for five years, to 2028. Hybrids were excluded from the original order; in May 2024 the NEDA Board approved widening the zero rate to 34 more categories, including hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars and trucks, electric jeepneys and buses, and knocked-down kits.
BYD has been the main beneficiary. In 2025 it sold 26,122 units, up 446 per cent year on year, and held about 44.3 per cent of the new-energy vehicle segment; 21,514 of those were plug-in hybrids. Other Chinese brands had a harder year: Chery fell 43.4 per cent and Geely dropped to 1,612 units from 2,684, while Jetour grew 5.2 per cent to 1,791. Across the market about one in ten new cars sold in the Philippines in 2025 was a Chinese brand. Industry bodies CAMPI and TMA reported 491,395 units for 2025, and a wider count including AVID members put the total at about 492,558, up around 3.8 per cent.
The brand list is long because distributors, not factories, do the work: BYD, MG, Chery, GAC, Geely, Omoda, Jaecoo, GWM, Changan, JAC, Jetour and Foton all sell through Philippine distributor groups.
At a glance
| Country code | PH |
|---|---|
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
| Market status | Open |
| Brands recorded | 16 |
| Chinese-owned plants | 0 |
| Models on this site | 10 |
Brands sold in the Philippines
| Brand | Status | Since | Route to market | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 比亚迪BYD | Sold | 2022 | An independent importer | Distributed by BYD Cars Philippines (AC Motors). 26,122 units in 2025, up 446 per cent, and about 44.3 per cent of the new-energy vehicle segment. Entry year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 名爵MG | Sold | 2019 | An independent importer | Distributed by SAIC Motor Philippines. Entry year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 奇瑞Chery | Sold | 2019 | An independent importer | Sales fell 43.4 per cent in 2025. Entry year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 传祺Trumpchi | Sold | 2019 | An independent importer | Sold in the Philippines under the GAC badge; GAC recorded a serious decline in 2025. Entry year to be re-checked. |
| 埃安Aion | Sold | 2024 | An independent importer | GAC's electric brand. Entry year to be re-checked. |
| 吉利Geely | Sold | 2019 | An independent importer | 1,612 units in 2025, down from 2,684. Entry year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 欧萌达Omoda | Sold | 2024 | An independent importer | Entry year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 奇瑞探索Jaecoo | Sold | 2024 | An independent importer | Entry year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 长城GWM | Sold | 2023 | An independent importer | Entry year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 哈弗Haval | Sold | 2023 | An independent importer | Sold as GWM Haval. |
| 坦克Tank | Sold | 2023 | An independent importer | Sold as GWM Tank. |
| 长安Changan | Sold | 2023 | An independent importer | Entry year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 深蓝Deepal | Sold | 2024 | An independent importer | Changan's electric brand. Entry year to be re-checked. |
| 江淮JAC | Sold | 2015 | An independent importer | Long-standing light-commercial and passenger presence. Entry year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 捷途Jetour | Sold | 2023 | An independent importer | 1,791 units in 2025, up 5.2 per cent, one of only two Chinese brands to grow that year. Entry year to be re-checked. |
| 福田Foton | Sold | 2011 | An independent importer | Commercial vehicles and SUVs. Entry year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
The rules
Stated from the document that issued them, with the date each was read. Nothing here is an interpretation.
| Rule | What it says | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero import duty on electric vehicles (Executive Order No. 12, 2023) | Executive Order No. 12, signed on 13 January 2023, temporarily modified the most-favoured-nation rates of import duty on electric vehicles, parts and components under Section 1611 of Republic Act No. 10863 (the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act). It set the rate to zero for five years on completely built-up units of electric passenger cars, buses, minibuses, vans, trucks, motorcycles, tricycles, scooters and bicycles. Hybrid-type vehicles were not covered by the original order. | Republic of the Philippines (text hosted by LawPhil) | |
| Zero rate extended to hybrids and further categories | On 15 May 2024 the NEDA Board approved extending the temporary zero most-favoured-nation duty to 34 further product lines until 2028, adding electric motorcycles, e-bicycles, nickel metal hydride accumulators, battery e-tricycles and quadricycles, battery, hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric jeepneys and buses, hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric cars and trucks, and completely knocked-down kits for all vehicle types. | ASEAN Briefing |
Models recorded in the Philippines
| Model | Body | Status | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aion Aion UT | Hatchback | Sold | 320 km CLTC |
| Aion Aion Y Plus | SUV | Sold | 430 km CLTC |
| Geely Coolray | SUV | Sold | not published |
| Geely EX2 | Hatchback | Sold | 310 km CLTC |
| Haval H6 | SUV | Sold | 106 km (manufacturer figure, cycle not stated) |
| Haval Jolion | SUV | Sold | not published |
| Jetour Jetour T2 | SUV | Sold | 100 km (manufacturer figure, cycle not stated) |
| Roewe Roewe RX5 | SUV | Sold | 70 km (manufacturer figure, cycle not stated) |
| Tank Tank 300 | SUV | Sold | 115 km NEDC |
| Wuling Wuling Starlight | Saloon | Sold | 410 km CLTC |
Best sellers
| Model | Brand | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BYD (all models) | BYD | 2025 | 26,122 units, up 446 per cent, and about 44.3 per cent of the new-energy vehicle segment; 21,514 of those were plug-in hybrids. |
| Jetour (all models) | Jetour | 2025 | 1,791 units, up 5.2 per cent. |
| Geely (all models) | Geely | 2025 | 1,612 units, down from 2,684 in 2024. |
Chinese cars in the Philippines: questions people ask
- Do electric cars pay import duty in the Philippines?
- No. Executive Order No. 12, signed on 13 January 2023, set the most-favoured-nation import duty on built-up electric vehicles to zero for five years, and the NEDA Board widened the zero rate in May 2024 to include hybrids and further categories until 2028.
- Which Chinese car brands sell in the Philippines?
- BYD, MG, Chery, GAC, Aion, Geely, Omoda, Jaecoo, GWM, Changan, Deepal, JAC, Jetour and Foton all sell through Philippine distributor groups. There is no Chinese-owned assembly plant in the country.
- How well does BYD sell in the Philippines?
- BYD sold 26,122 units in 2025, up 446 per cent on the year, and held about 44.3 per cent of the new-energy vehicle segment. Plug-in hybrids accounted for 21,514 of those sales.
- How large is the Philippine car market?
- CAMPI and the Truck Manufacturers Association reported 491,395 units for 2025; a wider count including AVID members put the total at about 492,558, up around 3.8 per cent on 2024.
What changed
The only dated surface on this page. It records status changes, not news.
-
CAMPI reported 491,395 vehicles sold in the Philippines in 2025.
-
Full-year 2025 sales published: about one in ten new cars sold was a Chinese brand, with BYD at 26,122 units.
-
The NEDA Board approved widening the zero most-favoured-nation duty to 34 further categories, including hybrids, until 2028.
-
President Marcos signed Executive Order No. 12, cutting import duty on built-up electric vehicles to zero for five years.
Related
Sources for Philippines
- Republic of the Philippines (text hosted by LawPhil), Executive Order No. 12 (2023): temporarily modifying the rates of import duty on electric vehicles, parts and components. Read .
- ASEAN Briefing, Electric vehicle imports in the Philippines benefit from expanded zero-tariff rates. Read . NEDA Board approval of 15 May 2024 covering 34 further product lines until 2028.
- CarGuide.PH, 1 out of every 10 new cars sold in the Philippines is now Chinese. Read . 2025 brand volumes including BYD's 26,122 units and its new-energy share.
- Top Gear Philippines, CAMPI reports 491,395 cars sold in PH in 2025. Read .
- Top Gear Philippines, 2025 PH car sales: which brands grew and which ones didn't in the past year?. Read . Per-brand 2025 movements for Chery, Geely, GAC and Jetour.
- AutoIndustriya, Philippine auto sales 2025: 492,558 vehicles sold, up 3.77%. Read .