China's auto sales sink in March for 9th month

BEIJING (AP) - China's auto sales fell again in March but the contraction was smaller than in recent months.

An industry group, the China Association of Auto Manufacturers, reported Friday sales of SUVs, sedans and minivans in the industry's biggest global market fell 6.9 percent from a year earlier.

That was the ninth straight month of decline amid broader consumer malaise but an improvement over the 17.5 percent contraction in January and February.

The slump comes at an awkward time as global and Chinese automakers spend heavily to develop electric vehicles under government pressure to boost sales.

Sales of electric vehicles rose 85.4 percent to 126,000 but that accounted for only about 6 percent of total passenger vehicle sales of just over 2 million.