Asian Automakers Expected to Top Half of U.S. New-Vehicle Sales

What changed

Asian automakers are expected to account for more than half of U.S. new-vehicle sales in the third quarter, marking a second consecutive quarter above that threshold and bringing their share close to a record. U.S. automakers are losing more ground at home, while President Donald Trump has floated the possibility of Chinese firms entering the American market.

Why it matters

This is a shift in who sets the terms of competition in the world’s largest national car market. Asian brands are no longer simply gaining ground around the edges; they are approaching majority status in new-vehicle sales, while U.S. manufacturers face a deeper squeeze in their own domestic market.

Charlie Chesbrough, a senior economist at Cox Automotive, described the broader sales story as being driven mostly by Asian automakers. The forecast is not yet a finalized result, and the report does not identify which brands are responsible for the gains or explain their causes.

If Chinese automakers do enter the U.S. market, competition could intensify further, but that possibility remains only an idea floated by Trump rather than a confirmed policy or market event.