TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s new car registrations dropped by 11.8% in April to 32,876 units because of consumer fears about trade uncertainties.

According to automakers, registrations were stable early in April, but mid-month concerns over US tariffs and market volatility made consumers more cautious, slowing down overall registrations, per CNA. Despite promotional campaigns and aggressive marketing across brands, demand lagged behind the same period last year.

Toyota and Lexus, under distributor Hotai Motor, led the market with a combined 12,463 registrations in April, capturing a 37.9% market share and achieving a historical high for the two brands, per UDN. Tesla’s registrations fell sharply to 163 units, causing the electric vehicle maker to drop out of Taiwan’s top 10 brands for the month and lose its position among the top seven luxury imported car brands.

Imported cars accounted for 16,174 registrations in April, down 8.8% from March and 3.7% year-on-year, holding a market share of 49.2%. Luxury imported vehicles slightly increased their share to 25%, with 8,229 units registered.

Regarding domestic cars, electric vehicle brand Luxgen, produced by the joint venture between Foxconn and Yulon, delivered 271 units in April and 8,512 vehicles since last year.

Looking ahead, industry experts expect new car registrations to rebound in May, with an estimated 35,000 units, as tariff policies stabilize and consumer confidence improves. Hotai Motor projects Toyota and Lexus registrations are expected to reach around 12,900 units next month, maintaining a market share near 37%.