U.S. carmaker Tesla began exporting its made-in-China Model 3 to Europe for the first time, as the first batch of 7,000 sedans departed from Shanghai by sea on Tuesday.

The cars made by Tesla's Shanghai gigafactory are expected to arrive at the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium at the end of November, before being sold in European countries including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland.

Tesla delivered the first batch of made-in-China Model 3 sedans to the public earlier this year, one year after the company broke ground on its first overseas plant.

"Despite the impact of COVID-19, the construction and operation of the gigafactory maintained rapid progress with the support and help of governments at all levels and partners," said Tom Zhu, vice president of Tesla Global and president of Tesla Greater China.

Exporting made-in-China Model 3 sedans to Europe is a milestone in the development of the Tesla Shanghai gigafactory, proving to the world China's speed in construction as well as the quality of made-in-China products, said Zhu.

Tesla will continuously improve its production, sales, after-sales service and infrastructure in the country by honoring its China investment commitment, Zhu said.

Tesla broke ground in early 2019 on its Shanghai gigafactory in the Lingang Area, a new section of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone.