China car sales, Euro sector balances

Vehicle sales in China tumbled 15.8 percent from a year earlier to 2.37 million in January 2019, following a 13 percent drop in the previous month. It was the seventh consecutive annual decrease in vehicle sales in the world’s largest auto market and the sharpest since January 2012 amid slowing economic growth. Still, new energy vehicle sales jumped 140 percent to 95,700 units, making the sector the best performing one among the whole automotive industry. Sales of pure electric vehicles increased 179.7 percent to 75,000 units and those of plug-in hybrids grew 54.6 percent to 21,000 units.