BEIJING, Jan. 12 -- China's automobile exports soared 54.4 percent in 2022, effectively promoting the overall growth of the sector, industry data shows.

More than 3.11 million vehicles were exported last year, with passenger car exports nearing 2.53 million units, a jump of 56.7 percent year on year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

In the same period, exports of commercial vehicles climbed 44.9 percent from 2021 to 582,000 units, and exports of new-energy vehicles increased 1.2 times year on year to 679,000 units.

The association attributed the robust growth to factors such as the increasing competitiveness of Chinese auto companies and the overseas supply shortage.

In 2021, China's annual auto exports exceeded 2 million units for the first time, compared to about 1 million units in previous years, the data shows.