Israel becomes third largest importer of Chinese vehicles in the first two months of 2023

Wow! However, these are statistics only for two months so maybe special factors were at work!

"Last week the Chinese customs authority published export figures for Chinese cars in the first two months of 2023. Israel was the third largest market with 15,500 vehicles exported, behind Russia 20,100 and Mexico 18,700. Israel has leapfrogged important markets for China like Australia, Chile, Thailand and Saudi Arabia. The top Western European country on the list is France in 11th place.

The 15,500 Chinese vehicles exported to Israel in January and February 2023 represented 8.4% of all China's vehicle exports. ...
The importance of Israel for the Chinese automobile industry goes far beyond the number of vehicles sold here. For the Chinese, Israel is a developed Western market, which recognizes strict European vehicle regulations and in which Chinese manufacturers compete against well-known car brands from all over the world on an equal basis. Entering such a market is both an important symbolic achievement, and also an arena for undergoing trials in preparation for penetration into Europe, where competitive marketing and pricing tactics can be tested against dominant competitors such as Hyundai, Volkswagen, Tesla and more. ..."

Israel becomes third largest importer of Chinese vehicles - Globes The 15,500 Chinese vehicles exported to Israel in January and February 2023 was more than to the entire EU.