Passenger car sales slow in November

BEIJING - China's passenger-car sales rose at the slowest pace in six months in November. The pullback came as monetary tightening and the removal of government incentives dented demand at Chery Automobile Co and Honda Motor Co.

Wholesale deliveries, including sport-utility vehicles and minivans, gained 0.3 percent to 1.34 million units last month, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said in a statement on Friday. That compares with the 0.5 percent median estimate of five analysts surveyed by Bloomberg and is the slowest pace since May, when sales dropped 0.1 percent to 1.04 million.

China's vehicle sales have slowed from last year's record 32 percent increase, as inflation, higher interest rates and the end of a two-year stimulus plan deter purchases. Deliveries for 2011 may rise the least in 13 years, according to the auto industry group, adding to signs that China's economy is slowing.