Europe and the US are competing to lower product prices in China, and Korean media is envious, saying: "The only exception in the world!"

In early 2026, BMW China announced that starting from January 1st, it would lower the official suggested retail prices for multiple main models, with some high-end models seeing a drop of up to 300,000 RMB. At the same time, BMW raised prices in other global markets - including the US, Europe, and even its neighboring country South Korea - with increases ranging from 400 to 1,500 USD.

Earlier in April 2025, BMW South Korea had already increased the prices of some models by 14,500 RMB. This stark contrast between "China lowering prices and the rest of the world raising them" made Korean media exclaim that "China is the only exception in the world," with an obvious tone of envy. It's not just cars; actually, the starting price of iPhones in China has long been lower than in the US, Europe, Japan, and South Korea, making it one of the cheapest major markets globally. This isn't because Apple "favors" Chinese consumers, but rather because there are strong competitors such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and OPPO in China, forcing Apple to control price thresholds to maintain its base market.

Over the past few years, European and American countries have experienced high inflation, with all costs such as raw materials, logistics, and labor rising. Companies generally passed on this pressure through price hikes. However, in China, the competition is so intense that companies can only lower prices. Even if European and American cars lower their prices, they might not sell well, let alone raise them.

Ten years ago, imported luxury cars in China enjoyed a high premium. Now, local brands such as BYD, NIO, and Li Auto have not only caught up technologically, but also achieved partial leadership in the fields of intelligence and electrification. Faced with such concentrated and efficient domestic competition, even traditional giants like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have no choice but to lower their prices to win the market. This is not "charity," but an inevitable choice under the market mechanism.

Korean media finally had to admit that the rapid upgrading of China's manufacturing industry is reshaping the pricing logic of global industrial products. Knife Brother thinks that as an industrial Cthulhu, China has long had a discrepancy between its status and its actual strength, but this discrepancy will eventually be corrected, because this is a rule.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854887261238272/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.