CHONGQING — Southwest China's Chongqing municipality imported 5,161 whole vehicles worth 2.844 billion yuan (about $442 million) from January to September this year, according to the municipal commission of commerce.

In recent years, Chongqing has seen a marked growth in whole vehicle imports. In 2018, the city imported 2,145 whole vehicles. In 2019 and 2020, the number totaled 6,143 and 7,795, respectively.

So far, auto brands including Porsche, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, and auto-part manufacturers Bosch and Schaeffler have established a business presence in Chongqing via the China-Europe freight train service, the city's main import route for whole vehicles.

The municipal commission of commerce said it plans to provide services such as customs clearance, license registration, and after-sales maintenance to make Chongqing a distribution center of imported cars for China's inland regions.