[Trump Raises Tariffs on EU Cars Exported to US to 25%] Recently, Trump announced on social media: "Since the EU has not complied with the trade agreement fully reached between both sides, starting next week, I will raise tariffs on EU passenger cars and trucks exported to the US, with the rate increasing to 25%." However, Trump noted that the tariffs would not apply to cars produced in factories on US soil.

[Honda Plans to Terminate Auto Sales Business in South Korea by the End of 2026] Honda Motor Company announced that it would terminate new vehicle sales in South Korea by the end of 2026, ending its 23-year presence in the South Korean passenger car market. Lee Ji-hong, Honda's regional CEO for South Korea, stated that the withdrawal was the result of multiple factors, including changes in the market environment, exchange rate pressures, and the company's need to concentrate resources on priority development areas. Despite the termination of new vehicle sales, Honda pledged to continue providing after-sales services, parts supply, and warranty support for at least eight years. Notably, Honda will retain its motorcycle business in South Korea.

Data released by the CPCA showed that from April 1 to 19, national passenger vehicle retail sales reached 627,000 units, down 26% YoY and down 18% MoM. Cumulative retail sales year-to-date reached 4.848 million units, down 19% YoY. From April 1 to 19, national passenger vehicle producer wholesale volume reached 756,000 units, down 19% YoY and down 16% MoM. Cumulative wholesale volume year-to-date reached 6.622 million units, down 8% YoY.

Battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations jumped 51% in March across 15 major European markets, as renewed conflict in the Middle East brought renewed attention to oil dependence. According to data from New Automotive and E-Mobility Europe, around 224,000 new electric passenger cars were registered during the month, representing 22% of total sales in the monitored markets.

On April 16, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) released its investor relations activity record. It mentioned that in the first quarter of 2026, CATL's combined sales of power and energy storage batteries exceeded 200GWh, of which power batteries accounted for approximately 75% and energy storage batteries accounted for 25%, marking a significant increase compared to previous quarters. Against the backdrop of declining sales in the domestic passenger car industry, the company's power battery shipments continued to maintain relatively fast growth, driven primarily by two key factors: first, the continuous expansion of market share; second, the steady increase in battery capacity per vehicle.

According to Xinhua News Agency, data recently released by the Netherlands' National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that the total number of passenger cars in the Netherlands reached approximately 9.4 million units at the beginning of 2026, up nearly 2% from a year earlier, with nearly all of the increase attributable to electrified car models. Currently, the number of fully or partially electric-powered vehicles in the Netherlands has exceeded 2 million units, up nearly 6% from a year earlier, accounting for about one-fifth of total automobile ownership.

Cui Dongshu, Secretary General of the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), stated that due to the low base in January 2025, imported vehicles reached 70,000 units in January–February 2026, a year-on-year increase of 25%, marking a rare significant growth for the January–February period in recent times. Among them, imported vehicles in February 2026 stood at 32,000 units, down 12% year-on-year and 17% from January, indicating a gradual return to normal market growth.

SMM News: As of March 20, 2026, the market price for Praseodymium-Neodymium (Pr-Nd) metal in China stabilized temporarily at 890,000–910,000 RMB/ton. This article utilizes the SMM Pr-Nd Terminal Demand Calculation Model to dissect the demand logic for 2026 across three core sectors—New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, and Wind Power—explaining the current supply-demand dilemma facing the NdFeB magnet and broader Pr-Nd markets.

Cui Dongshu, Secretary General of the China Passenger Car Association, stated that the national passenger vehicle industry inventory reached 3.57 million units at the end of January, fluctuating at highs—down 80,000 units MoM, but up 580,000 units YoY. Based on the month-end inventory level in January and projected future sales, the current inventory can support approximately 70 days of future sales. Compared with previous years, the figure was 65 days in January 2023, 70 days in January 2024, and 48 days in January 2025, indicating relatively high inventory pressure in January this year.

Shanghai Yangpu District launched the first batch of 2026 auto consumption voucher activities on February 26. The total activity fund was 10 million yuan. Car purchasers needed to buy fuel or new energy passenger cars meeting China 6b emission standards from designated auto retail enterprises in Yangpu District and complete vehicle registration procedures with Shanghai's public security traffic management department. The vouchers were divided into two tiers: for car prices between 100,000 and 300,000 yuan, a 2,000-yuan voucher could be claimed; for prices above 300,000 yuan, a 3,000-yuan voucher was available. The activity was expected to drive new auto sales to reach 900 million yuan, promoting local auto consumption and economic development.