Vehicle sales slow in Nov amid economic concerns

Vehicle sales slowed drastically in China in November, as concerns over the cooling economy and purchase limitations in cities weighed heavily on buyers, industry sources said on Friday.

The total sales of cars, sport utility vehicles, multipurpose vehicles and minivans increased by only 5 percent on an annual basis to 1,710,113 units last month. Vehicle sales during the first 11 months posted a 10.3 percent year-on-year growth, the China Passenger Car Association said.

Rao Da, secretary-general of the association, said: "The weak market response is a bit lower than expected for the off season. The added pressure on dealer inventories will prompt companies to launch more sales promotion campaigns."