Malaysia’s national car maker Proton says it will export at least 30,000 cars to China, marking its first foray into the Chinese market.

Proton said it will supply cars to Jinhua Young man Automobile Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

Proton has been trying to boost exports, cut costs and introduce new models to prop up sales and curb its losses.

The company reported a total loss of $169 million for the year ended March31.

For years, Proton thrived in a protected environment in which high duties were imposed on imported vehicles, forcing many Malaysians to buy Proton cars.

But duties have been slowly lowered in line with a regional trade pact, & more Malaysians are buying imported cars.

Proton’s domestic market share has plunged to around 30 percent from 60% in 2002.

1,421 used cars have been imported in to Vietnam in the last one year since Vietnam in the last one year since Vietnam in the last one year since Vietnam lifted the ban on used car imports.

These include 849 unites imported in the last seven month of 2006 and 572 units in the first four of 2007 though the tax rates on used imports have been reduced by 5-20% since mid February 2007,the number of imported used car has not seen big changes, remaining around 100 units a month.

Before the decision on lowering the import tax on used cars came into effect on February 15 experts forecast that market would be bustling and more used cars would be imported to Vietnam as used cars would be imported to Vietnam as used cars would be 15% cheaper thanks to the tax reduction.

For Used cars buyers in Vietnam, Please visit:

http://www.japanautopages.com/country/vietnam.php

Foreign auto makers sales of cars, trucks and buses in japan fell 5.2% in may from a year earlier as major brands such as Volkswagen and Mercedes-benze posted on year declines the japan automobile importers association said recently in Tokyo.

This is the 11th consecutive month of falls, reflecting overall sluggish demand for vehicles in japan and fewer launches of new models by foreign car makers.

Sales of imported vehicles by foreign car makers totaled 17,497 vehicles in may,down from 18,464 in the same month last year the association said.