March 6 (Reuters) – The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran entered its seventh day on Friday, threatening to disrupt car shipments from Asia to the Middle East, a key export market for Asian automakers.
Chinese, Indian, South Korean and Japanese automakers export billions of dollars’ worth of vehicles to the Middle East through the Strait of Hormuz, but shipments along the route have come to a standstill amid fears of an attack by Tehran.
China
The Middle East is the second-largest overseas market for Chinese-made cars, and the region is increasingly important for the Asian giant as it looks to offset weak domestic demand.
According to the China Passenger Car Association, of the 8.32 million vehicles exported overseas by Chinese automakers in 2025, 1.39 million, or one-sixth, were sold to Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Major automobile exporters include Chery Automobile, BYD, SAIC Motor, Changan Automobile and Geely Automobile.
Chinese joint ventures of Kia, Hyundai Motor and Toyota Motor are also among the top 10 auto exporters in the Middle East, according to Gasgoo Research Institute, China’s largest supply chain platform.
India
According to commercial customs data, India exported vehicles worth $8.8 billion in 2025, 25% of which were sold to the Middle East, mainly Saudi Arabia.
Hyundai will be the most affected, with global shipments of $1.8 billion in 2025, half of which is shipped from India to Gulf countries.
Toyota also has significant exposure, with about two-thirds of its total exports to India last year at $470 million, or more than $300 million, going to the Middle East, the data shows.
Data shows that Maruti Suzuki exports less than 15% of its exports to the Gulf region in value terms. In 2025, its exports totaled $3.2 billion, with $457 million worth of cars shipped to the region.
Data show that by 2025, Nissan’s exports to India will be approximately US$318 million, accounting for 38% of its total exports.
South Korea
According to data from the Korea International Trade Association, South Korea’s total automobile exports will reach a record high of US$72 billion in 2025, of which exports to the Middle East are worth US$5.3 billion, an increase of 2.8% from 2024.
Hyundai Motor’s exports to the Middle East and Africa account for 8% of its wholesale sales of 4.14 million units in 2025. The total number of vehicles shipped to the combined region totaled approximately 317,000 vehicles.
Kia’s wholesale sales in 2025 will be 3.1 million vehicles, 8% of which will be sold in the Middle East and Africa.
Japan
According to data released by the company, Toyota exported 320,699 vehicles from Japan to the Middle East in 2025, an increase of 5.4% from the previous year. This represents a little more than 15% of the company’s total exports of more than 2 million units last year.
