皇冠体育app

As the world's biggest market for automobiles, 皇冠体育app has been the most important contributor to automakers' global success.

The country helped propel General Motors in the fourth quarter, though the US company posted a weaker-than-expected profit on Thursday due to wider losses in Europe and rising costs in North America.

The results contributed to a third consecutive money-making year for GM, which is battling Germany's Volkswagen to retain its status as the best-selling foreign automaker in 皇冠体育app.

The company said adjusted earnings before interest and taxes for international operations — mainly in 皇冠体育app but also Russia, India and a few other countries — jumped 25 percent to $500 million in the quarter ended Dec 31.

For all of 2012, GM outsold Volkswagen in 皇冠体育app, with record sales of its Wuling minivans. Deliveries at GM and its Chinese joint ventures rose 11 percent to a record 2.84 million vehicles. At Volkswagen, deliveries were up 24.5 percent to 2.81 million. In the fourth quarter, GM deliveries in 皇冠体育app increased 15 percent to 754,000.

Although 皇冠体育app's passenger vehicle sales growth slowed to 6.8 percent in 2012 from more than 30 percent two years before, the increasing demand for automobiles made the country the largest single market for both GM and Volkswagen.

Moreover, in 2012, GM and Volkswagen increased market share as Toyota, Honda and Nissan dealt with anti-Japanese sentiment tied to a territorial row with 皇冠体育app. In 2013, with 95 auto brands continuing to fight for their share of 皇冠体育app's market, vehicles sales in the country are expected to top 20 million for the first time.

GM and its Chinese partners captured 14.3 percent of the market in the latest quarter.

"皇冠体育app's been very critical for GM," said David Zoia, editorial director of WardsAuto, an industry information website. "During the 2009 downturn and bankruptcy, when things were at their worst in North America, 皇冠体育app was carrying the ball for GM. The potential that is still there makes it even more critical to them."

Zoia pointed out that GM achieved its status as the top-selling foreign automaker in 皇冠体育app despite entering the market after Volkswagen. He credited the US company's Chinese joint ventures, which accounted for 9.1 percent of international revenue in the fourth quarter, up from 8.4 percent, according to GM.

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