Intro: what actually changes in 2026

From 1 January 2026, China is tightening control over used-car exports, especially the so-called
“zero-mileage” cars – brand-new vehicles registered in China and immediately exported as “used”.

For importers in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Poland, Lithuania and other EU
countries, this is not the end of Chinese used-car exports, but the rules of the game are changing.

This article explains, in practical business language:

• what exactly changes in Chinese law from 1 January 2026;
• how used and “zero-mileage” export schemes work today;
• why Beijing and the factories are closing loopholes;
• what it means for European buyers and intermediaries;
• how companies like Myron Trade / Myron Cars will work under the new regime.

1. Two export channels: new cars vs used cars from China

To understand the reform, you must clearly separate two different export channels.

1.1. Official export of new cars

This is the “clean” channel:

• the exporter is the factory itself or its official export subsidiary;
• the vehicle never becomes a used car in China – it is produced and shipped directly for export as new;
• the factory (or its export arm) controls:
  • export price and discount policy,
  • target markets,
  • warranty, spare parts and after-sales service.

Through this channel, China has become the world’s largest car exporter – with a rapidly growing share of electric
and hybrid (NEV) models.

1.2. Export of used cars (including “zero-mileage”)

The second channel is used vehicles. China only allowed used-car exports in 2019; before that,
exporting used cars was effectively banned.

In practice, two categories appeared:

Genuinely used cars

• vehicles actually driven in China for some time;
• with real mileage, ownership history and service records.

“Zero-mileage” or “near-new” used cars

A very specific Chinese invention:

• car is bought as new from a dealer;
• registered in China (often to a trading company);
• maybe driven a few kilometres or not at all;
• then exported on paper as “used”, even though it is practically new.

By 2024, about 400–436 thousand used vehicles left China, and up to 90% of them
are estimated to have been “zero-mileage” cars.

These cars mainly went to:

• Russia and Central Asia,
• the Middle East and parts of Africa,
• and gradually also Europe and Latin America.

2. How the “zero-mileage” scheme works in practice (Myron model)

Companies like Myron Cars / Myron Trade (one group, single management) operate on the legal edge
of this system, but still within the official framework.

Step 1 – Purchase from dealer or factory

• a client requests a particular brand/model (e.g. BYD, Zeekr, Chery, Geely);
• Myron negotiates:
  • either with an official dealer in China;
  • or directly with the factory for larger batches;
• the contract is signed to Myron Cars (Chinese legal entity);
• a batch is purchased – from 3–5 units up to dozens or hundreds.

Factories usually require bigger volumes, but give better pricing and access to models.

Step 2 – Registration in China

Then:

• cars are registered to Myron Cars;
• receive Chinese number plates (often Shanghai);
• by regional rules, the car must stay on the company for a minimum period (e.g. a week or more).

Additionally:

• compulsory insurance is paid;
• commercial insurance is often added;
• dealers sometimes bundle “packages”: tyres, films, accessories.

From the legal point of view, the car is now used: it has an owner (Myron Cars), a registration date, insurance,
and sometimes minimal mileage.

Step 3 – Transfer to export company and shipment

• Myron Cars sells these cars to Myron Trade;
• Myron Trade holds an export licence for used cars;
• vehicles are exported as used to:
  • Europe,
  • Russia & CIS,
  • the Middle East,
  • Latin America and other markets.

This scheme allowed traders to:

• buy cars on the hyper-competitive domestic Chinese market, where prices are often at cost or even below;
• export them as “used”, offering very aggressive pricing abroad, sometimes below official factory export prices.

Exactly this mechanism is now under attack from the new 2026 rules.

3. Why Beijing and the factories are changing the rules

Chinese authorities and major OEMs have several very clear motives.

3.1. Protecting factory margins and official export channels

The domestic market in China is in brutal price war mode. To keep market share, factories and dealers often sell at
zero or negative margin.

Grey “zero-mileage” export lets traders:

• buy cheap domestically,
• export as used,
• capture the profit difference instead of the factory.

Big groups – Geely (incl. Zeekr, Lynk & Co, Lotus), BYD, SAIC, Changan, Li Auto and others – have now built
large official export departments. They want the export margin and stable brand positioning, not chaotic grey flows.

3.2. Fixing fake sales statistics and subsidy misuse

Investigations and media reports showed that:

• some local governments and OEMs inflated sales by registering cars as sold in China and immediately exporting them as “used”;
• some schemes were tied to subsidies, tax benefits and local GDP targets;
• after export, no one guaranteed service or parts for those cars abroad, hurting the reputation of Chinese brands.

3.3. Controlling brand image and customer experience overseas

Modern Chinese EVs and hybrids are:

• software-defined cars with OTA updates;
• complex battery and hybrid systems;
• heavily dependent on online services.

If such a car is exported through a random trader, without proper after-sales, complaints land on the brand, not the
trader. So factories and the state want:

• clear visibility over where the car goes;
• guaranteed availability of service and spare parts;
• long-term brand presence, not “hit-and-run” exports.

The 2026 reform is exactly about that.

4. New rules from 1 January 2026: what changes legally

The new policy was jointly announced in November 2025 by China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and several other
ministries and takes effect on 1 January 2026.

There are two key pillars.

4.1. Rule #1 – 180-day rule + manufacturer After-Sales Confirmation Letter

If you want to export a car as used, and:

• the car was registered in China less than 180 days ago,

then to obtain an export licence you must provide:

After-Sales Service Confirmation Letter – an official letter from the manufacturer confirming that:

• the factory is aware of the export,
• in the destination country there is after-sales support (service network, spare parts, technical support).

Without this letter:

• the export licence will not be issued;
• without a licence, the car cannot leave China legally as used.

The rule directly targets “zero-mileage” exports: brand-new cars registered and quickly shipped out as used.

4.2. Rule #2 – Genuine used cars: 180 days + verifiable service history

For cars that are really used and:

• have been registered more than 180 days,
• and are exported as normal used cars without a factory letter,

authorities now require:

• documented service history at official (or authorised) service centres;
• invoices and records in the OEM digital systems.

MOFCOM and local authorities will:

• verify the data against the national registration database;
• cross-check service records;
• reject licences if information is inconsistent.

Most modern Chinese cars have built-in connectivity and telematics, continuously sending data on mileage, location,
errors and servicing to factory servers. Regulators already see how and where the car has been used.

5. What disappears: classic “buy new – instantly export as used”

From 1 January 2026, the standard “zero-mileage” scheme is no longer easy:

1. You buy new from a dealer.
2. Register the car to a company.
3. Wait a few days.
4. Export as used with almost zero mileage.

Without:

• a manufacturer After-Sales Service Confirmation Letter for cars under 180 days, or
• a full 180-day holding period + proper service history for older cars,

you simply won’t receive an export licence.

Any Chinese exporter promising to “keep working as before, nothing changes” is either not fully informed,
or planning to work outside the legal framework (with corresponding risks for you as an importer).

6. What it means for Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Italy, France, Poland, Lithuania)

For European clients and partners, the impact is specific and different from Russia or the Middle East.

6.1. Fewer “grey” nearly new cars, more official channels

Combined with:

• EU countervailing duties on Chinese BEVs, which make official pricing and traceability more important,
• growing EU focus on origin, subsidies and after-sales,

the new Chinese rules mean:

• importing “zero-mileage” Chinese cars through grey used-car schemes into the EU becomes risky and more expensive;
• official factory export channels (or exporters working with factory agreement) become the main path;
• documentation, VIN traceability and after-sales coverage in Europe will be under closer scrutiny both in China and the EU.

6.2. Higher but more predictable prices

For European buyers, expect:

• no collapse of supply – China will not stop exporting;
• a moderate increase in final price:
  • margins shift from grey traders to factories and official partners;
  • extra costs appear if someone uses the 180-day storage + servicing model.

In return:

• the car is more likely to have official support in the EU,
• capacity for spare parts, recalls and OTA updates is clearer,
• risk of “orphaned” cars without service networks is lower.

6.3. Longer lead times for “near-new” bargains

If you want near-new cars at used-car pricing:

• most serious players will move to:
  • buy new,
  • hold for 180+ days in large parking facilities,
  • perform minimum official servicing,
  • then export as used.

For Europe, this means:

• lead times increase (you may wait months between production and export);
• the most aggressive “buy now, ship next week” offers on “zero-mileage used” cars will become rare or questionable.

7. Other regions – in short

7.1. Russia and CIS

“Zero-mileage” flows to Russia and Central Asia were huge and helped fill the gap after Western brands left. New
Chinese rules plus Russian recycling fees and other local changes will:

• reduce the volume of fast grey exports;
• push more business into official import and certification channels.

7.2. Latin America and the Middle East

China actively grows exports to Latin America and the Gulf. Used-car exports will not disappear but:

• “zero-mileage” prices will increase;
• official distributors and factory channels will gain a bigger role.

8. How Myron Trade / Myron Cars will work after 1 January 2026

For companies at our level, there are realistically two working models.

8.1. Official new-car export directly from factories

For a number of brands, Myron can already work directly with OEM export departments, for example:

• Geely Group brands (incl. Zeekr, Lynk & Co, Lotus and others);
• other major Chinese manufacturers where factory export channels are open.

In this case:

• cars go abroad as new vehicles,
• pricing and after-sales support follow factory export policies,
• documentation is fully aligned with both Chinese and European requirements.

For European partners, this is increasingly the primary route, especially for EVs and hybrids.

8.2. True used-car export with 180-day holding

The second model:

• Buy new cars in China at domestic prices.
• Register them to Myron’s Chinese entity.
• Hold them 180+ days in professional storage (covered parking, regular maintenance).
• Perform at least minimal official servicing during this period.
• Export them as used cars with full documentation.

In parallel, the market will see growth of:

• large storage operators for multi-month vehicle parking;
• service centres specialising in “export-ready” used cars.

This will add cost, but gives clients:

• access to Chinese domestic specs (often better equipped than export trims);
• pricing still competitive vs official EU MSRP, even with tariffs and logistics.

9. Will used-car export from China die after 2026?

No. It will transform.

What we realistically expect:

• moderate price growth across the chain:
  • factory → export unit → foreign distributor → end customer;
• emergence of new professional players:
  • storage operators for 180-day holding,
  • structured used-car exporters that fully follow the rules;
• strengthening of brand control:
  • better service standards,
  • more reliable spare parts supply,
  • fewer cases where a customer ends up without support.

For the end customer in Europe:

• minus – the cheapest grey “zero-mileage” schemes will be less available;
• plus – cars imported from China will be:
  • more predictable in terms of documentation and after-sales,
  • better integrated into official service networks.

10. Who we are and why we write about this openly

This article is based on the real practice of Myron Trade / Myron Cars.

Abdullayev Marad:

• over 10 years working with China;
• in recent years focused specifically on exporting cars from China to Europe, CIS, Latin America and the Middle East;
• previous experience with car export from the US, Mexico and Europe, so he knows how different jurisdictions handle similar issues.

Myron Group:

• Myron Cars – Chinese company that purchases and registers vehicles inside China;
• Myron Trade – export company with its own used-car export licence, handling logistics, customs and
  international contracts.

Our position is simple: “Everyone understands what’s happening – we prefer to talk about it openly.”

So we say directly:

• yes, the new rules make life harder for those who exported “zero-mileage used” cars in fast micro-batches;
• yes, prices will rise compared to 2024–2025 levels;
• yes, factory export departments will play a bigger role.

At the same time:

• China will not stop exporting cars;
• business will adapt;
• companies that work legally, transparently and know how to calculate will remain and grow.

11. Key points European importers should remember for 2026+

There are two channels:

• official export of new cars from the factory;
• export of used cars, including near-new vehicles.

In 2024, China exported millions of new cars and roughly 400–430k used cars, of which up to
90% were “zero-mileage”.

From 1 January 2026:

• cars registered less than 180 days can be exported as used only with a
  manufacturer After-Sales Service Confirmation Letter;
• without such a letter, you need 180 days of ownership and verifiable official service history;
• otherwise, no export licence – no legal export out of China.

The classic “bought new → registered → exported as used within days” will be drastically reduced.

Export will not disappear, but will become:

• more official and factory-controlled;
• somewhat more expensive;
• more predictable in terms of service and quality for the final customer.

12. FAQ – New Chinese used-car export rules for European buyers

Q1. After 1 January 2026, can I still export a “zero-mileage” car from China as used?

Yes, but only if the manufacturer issues an After-Sales Service Confirmation Letter for that
specific car and destination country. Without this document, a vehicle registered less than 180 days ago will not
obtain an export licence.

Q2. Do I always have to wait 180 days before exporting a used car from China?

No, there are two paths:

• With factory letter – you can export earlier than 180 days.
• Without factory letter – you must:
  • wait at least 180 days from registration;
  • provide confirmed official service records;
  • then the car can be exported as used.

Q3. How do regulators check whether the car was serviced officially?

They cross-check:

• service invoices and workshop records;
• OEM and dealer electronic databases;
• in many cases, telematics data from the car itself (mileage, errors, service events).

If the data does not match, the export licence can be refused.

Q4. Will used-car exports from China to Europe disappear because of these rules?

No. What will disappear is the cheapest, fastest grey segment – cars registered yesterday and exported tomorrow as
used.

The market will shift to:

• factory-controlled export of new cars;
• structured used-car exports with 180-day holding and proper documentation.

Q5. What should a European buyer or dealer do if they plan to import from China in 2026+?

Key points:

• understand that prices will be higher than in 2024–2025, but still competitive;
• work only with partners who:
  • have a real Chinese company;
  • hold a valid export licence;
  • have access to factory export channels or can organise compliant 180-day used-car exports.
• always calculate full economics with:
  • Chinese factory or used-car price;
  • logistics and insurance;
  • Chinese side export requirements (letters, 180 days, service);
  • EU tariffs, VAT, local registration taxes.

If you are planning Chinese car imports to Europe in 2026 and beyond, we can analyse your target models and
countries, and propose a concrete scheme: factory export or 180-day used-car route, with realistic pricing, timing
and risk profile.