BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's automobile exports dropped 2.9 percent year on year in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed on Wednesday.

Last year, Chinese auto firms exported a total of 995,000 cars, the data showed.

Of the total, exports of passenger cars stood at 760,000 units, up 4.8 percent from the previous year, and exports of commercial vehicles declined 21.4 percent to 235,000 units.

Auto exports in the country began to recover since September, ending weak performance in the first eight months.

In December, China's auto exports surged 35.5 percent year on year to 145,000 units, notching a historic high, according to the association.