China's auto sales fall for eighth straight month in Dec amid chip shortage

China's auto sales in December fell 1.6% from a year-ago period, the eight consecutive monthly drop, industry data showed on Wednesday, as the world's biggest car market was hit hard by COVID-19 outbreaks and the global shortage of semiconductors.

Overall sales in China stood at 2.79 million vehicles in December, bringing total sales for 2021 to 26.28 million, rising 3.8% from 2020 data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) showed.

A global shortage of chips, used in everything from brake sensors to power steering to entertainment systems, has led automakers around the world to cut or suspend production, pushing up