Asia Car/Vehicle Production By Nation : 2016-17

This region has the most protected car industry in the world. I personally find it indefensible that Asia is so pro-export and so against two-way trade. Admittedly, some poorer Asian countries would lose their industry without protection, but others simply don't need protecting.

China is removing some and that is a move in the right direction but it needs no protection at all so the sooner that it ceases altogether, the better. Japan stifles imports indirectly while India, Thailand and South Korea do it openly for no reason that can now be justified. I'm not getting political here, just pointing out one area of many of self-interest in world trade.

Cars: China has been increasing with extreme haste but 2017 showed signs of what had to happen eventually. A ceiling has been reached and reduced numbers can be expected in the future. India has passed South Korea but otherwise fairly stable. Vietnam in 2017 has to be an estimate.

16	17	Nation	2017	%	+/-		2016	%	+/-
1	1	China	24,806,687	56.8%	2%		24,420,744	57.1%	16%
2	2	Japan	8,347,836	19.1%	6%		7,873,886	18.4%	1%
4	3	India	3,952,550	9.0%	7%		3,707,348	8.7%	9%
3	4	South Korea	3,735,399	8.6%	-3%		3,859,991	9.0%	-7%
5	5	Indonesia	982,356	2.2%	1%		968,476	2.3%	17%
6	6	Thailand	818,440	1.9%	2%		805,033	1.9%	6%
7	7	Malaysia	424,880	1.0%	-16%		503,771	1.2%	-11%
8	8	Taiwan	230,356	0.5%	-8%		251,087	0.6%	-16%
9	9	Pakistan	188,690	0.4%	6%		178,718	0.4%	-2%
10	10	Vietnam	145,571	0.3%	0%		145,571	0.3%	47%
11	11	Philippines	45,853	0.1%	-49%		89,560	0.2%	16%
12	12	Bangladesh	580	0.0%	0%		580	0.0%	7%
		Total	43,679,198		2%		42,804,765		9%
		Asia x2	221,410	0.5%			213,830	0.5%

Vehicles: Even less change here, despite commercial vehicles moving up the volume by 8.5 million. The Philippine vehicle figure looks dubious considering cars fell so much. I'd wager that it went down but the source put it as level with 2016.

16	17	Nation	2017	%	+/-		2016	%	+/-
1	1	China	29,015,434	55.6%	3%		28,118,794	55.6%	14%
2	2	Japan	9,693,746	18.6%	5%		9,204,813	18.2%	-1%
3	3	India	4,782,896	9.2%	6%		4,519,341	8.9%	9%
4	4	South Korea	4,114,913	7.9%	-3%		4,228,509	8.4%	-7%
5	5	Thailand	1,988,823	3.8%	2%		1,944,417	3.8%	2%
6	6	Indonesia	1,216,615	2.3%	3%		1,177,797	2.3%	7%
7	7	Malaysia	460,140	0.9%	-16%		545,333	1.1%	-11%
8	8	Taiwan	291,563	0.6%	-6%		309,522	0.6%	-12%
9	9	Vietnam	236,161	0.5%	0%		236,161	0.5%	38%
10	10	Pakistan	230,250	0.4%	7%		214,650	0.4%	-7%
11	11	Philippines	116,868	0.2%	0%		116,868	0.2%	4%
12	12	Bangladesh	580	0.0%	0%		580	0.0%	7%
		Total	52,147,989		3%		50,616,785		8%
		Asia x2	221,410	0.4%			213,830	0.4%

Data source: OICA.

East Europe Car/Vehicle Production By Nation : 2016-17

This part of Europe has a huge advantage in car manufacturing, low wage costs. That has incentivised many companies from around the world to set up plants in the region. Slovakia has been a strong beneficiary, making more cars per capita than any other country in the world. The main issue now is having a workforce qualified to meet future investment.

The Fiat 500L is made in Serbia

Cars: The Czech Republic leads the way with cars in this region, although Russia is closing in. Turkey had a good year, passing Slovakia in the process. Overall production continues to rise, with a 7% improvement in 2017. There ware some double counts with other countries that amounted to 3.5% of the total.

16	17	Nation	2017	%	+/-		2016	%	+/-
1	1	Czech Rep	1,413,881	21.0%	5%		1,344,182	21.6%	4%
2	2	Russia	1,348,029	20.0%	20%		1,124,310	18.1%	-7%
4	3	Turkey	1,142,906	17.0%	20%		950,888	15.3%	20%
3	4	Slovakia	1,001,520	14.9%	-4%		1,040,000	16.7%	4%
5	5	Poland	514,700	7.6%	-7%		554,600	8.9%	4%
6	6	Hungary	502,000	7.5%	-4%		524,241	8.4%	7%
7	7	Romania	359,240	5.3%	0%		358,861	5.8%	-7%
8	8	Slovenia	189,852	2.8%	42%		133,702	2.1%	0%
9	9	Uzbekistan	140,247	2.1%	59%		88,152	1.4%
10	10	Serbia	79,360	1.2%	0%		79,360	1.3%	-4%
12	11	Kazakhstan	16,789	0.2%	100%		8,397	0.1%
11	12	Belarus	13,428	0.2%	-22%		17,270	0.3%
13	13	Ukraine	7,296	0.1%	68%		4,340	0.1%	-23%
		Total	6,729,248		8%		6,228,303		1%
		CIS x2	116,270	1.7%			101,090	1.6%
		E Eur x2	123,010	1.8%			125,200	2.0%

Vehicles: Including the commercial side of things adds nearly 950,000 units, much of that in Turkey. This propels that country into the top spot. It also consigns the Czech Rep to third, down two places from its passenger car ranking.

16	17	Nation	2017	%	+/-		2016	%	+/-
1	1	Turkey	1,695,731	22.1%	14%		1,485,927	21.0%	9%
3	2	Russia	1,551,293	20.2%	19%		1,303,544	18.4%	-5%
2	3	Czech Rep	1,419,993	18.5%	5%		1,349,896	19.1%	8%
4	4	Slovakia	1,001,520	13.0%	-4%		1,040,000	14.7%	-7%
5	5	Poland	689,729	9.0%	1%		681,834	9.6%	3%
6	6	Hungary	505,400	6.6%	-4%		526,500	7.4%	-1%
7	7	Romania	359,250	4.7%	0%		359,306	5.1%	-7%
8	8	Slovenia	189,852	2.5%	42%		133,702	1.9%	0%
9	9	Uzbekistan	140,247	1.8%	59%		88,152	1.2%	-52%
10	10	Serbia	79,912	1.0%	-1%		80,320	1.1%	-4%
12	11	Kazakhstan	19,071	0.2%	79%		10,651	0.2%	-26%
11	12	Belarus	13,428	0.2%	-22%		17,270	0.2%	15%
13	13	Ukraine	9,542	0.1%	81%		5,264	0.1%	-36%
14	-	Azerbaidjan	-				247	0.0%	-40%
		Total	7,674,968		8%		7,082,613		-1%
		CIS x2	116,270	1.5%			101,090	1.4%
		E Eur x2	123,010	1.6%			125,200	1.8%

Data source: OICA and others.
Main picture: Kia Slovakia.