Why the size of a brand matters in Panama
Chinese brands went from 24.5% to 29.9% of new car sales in Panama in one year, according to ADAP data cited by Infobae, an advance that Radar Panamá analysed in almost one in three new cars in Panama is Chinese. With so many new names in the showrooms, the buyer’s doubt is no longer only what equipment each model carries, but who will answer for it eight or ten years from now.
JETOUR’s global figures and who publishes them
| Indicator | Figure | Date of the data | Who publishes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual sales | 622,590 vehicles (+9.5%) | Year 2025 | JETOUR, via PR Newswire |
| Cumulative customers | More than 2.5 million | August 2026 | Business Review and GCC Business News |
| Countries with a presence | More than 100 | 2025-2026 | JETOUR |
| Sales and service points | More than 2,000 | 2025-2026 | JETOUR |
| T2 sales | More than 500,000 units in 33 months | June 2026 | JETOUR, via GlobeNewswire |
| Weight within Chery | The group’s second brand, close to 22% of its sales | Year 2025 | CarNewsChina |
| Stated target | 2 million vehicles a year, half of them outside China | 2030 horizon | Reuters, published by Sowetan |
Most of these figures are declared by the brand itself and are not audited by a third party; those from independent media are identified in the last column.
The Chery umbrella
JETOUR is not an isolated manufacturer. It belongs to Chery, which according to CarNewsChina closed 2025 as China’s leading car exporter for the twenty-third consecutive year. The same outlet places JETOUR as the group’s second brand by volume, with around 22% of its sales.
Where a JETOUR is built
Main production remains in China. What is new is that the brand has begun to assemble close to its customers, a step that usually signals a long-term commitment to a region.
| Country | Status | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | Local assembly of the T2 in Johor | Since March 2026 | paultan.org |
| Pakistan | First T2 i-DM unit assembled in the country | September 2026 | PakWheels |
| South Africa | Chery opened the Rosslyn plant, formerly Nissan’s; the T series will be built there | Opened in July 2026; production from 2027 | Mail & Guardian |
| Egypt | A 123 million dollar agreement with the El-Kasrawy group to produce the T1, the T2 and the X70 Plus, with around 1,500 jobs | Signed in May 2025 | Business Today Egypt |
| Brazil | The brand is studying a shared factory | August 2026 | Reuters, published by Mercado Valor |
Growing when the market falls
Total volume says little about the health of a brand unless it is compared with its surroundings.
| Country | JETOUR’s result | Total market | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | +22.6%, tenth brand | -23.5% | First half of 2026 | Best Selling Cars Blog |
| Iraq | +23.9%, fifth brand | -33.3% | First quarter of 2026 | Best Selling Cars Blog |
| South Africa | From 15th to 9th place | Growing | January 2025 to June 2026 | cars.co.za and IOL, with naamsa data |
| Mexico | +288% | Moderate growth | January to August 2026 | El CEO, with AMDA data |
The expansion also reaches markets with demanding type-approval rules. JETOUR began selling in Poland in September 2025, according to Reuters, and was officially launched in Romania in September 2026, according to Business Review. CarExpert places its arrival in Australia in early 2027.
What it means for parts, continuity and backing in Panama
- Spare parts. A model such as the T2, with more than half a million units sold according to the brand, creates a fleet that justifies manufacturing parts for years. Local availability, however, depends on the distributor’s stock, which is why the relevant fact lies in the network of Petromotors branches and their workshops, not in the figures from China.
- Brand continuity. A manufacturer that invests in plants in four countries and states a target of 2 million units for 2030 has incentives to stay in the markets where it already sells. Panama is also among those the brand prioritises: it was the first country in the Americas to receive the G700, in January 2026.
- Backing. The warranty Petromotors publishes for JETOUR in Panama is 7 years or 200,000 km. The commitment is taken on by the local distributor, so its solidity weighs as much as the manufacturer’s.
Buyers who wish to check these points in person have an opportunity close at hand: the Panama Motor Show 2026 is held from 2 to 4 and from 7 to 11 October. The guide to buying a Chinese car in Panama brings together the aspects worth reviewing before signing.
What nobody answers yet
- How many sales are made outside China. The brand publishes the 2025 total of 622,590 units, but the sources consulted do not break down how many correspond to exports or how many to Latin America.
- What stock of spare parts there is in Panama. There is no public figure on the volume of parts held in the warehouse or on the average delivery times for those ordered from the factory.
- Whether any new plant will supply the region. The factories in South Africa and Egypt and the possible one in Brazil could shorten logistics to the Americas, but nobody has confirmed that units bound for Panama will stop arriving from China.
Frequently asked questions
Does JETOUR belong to Chery?
Yes. JETOUR is the SUV brand that the Chinese group Chery founded in 2018. According to CarNewsChina, it is the group’s second brand by volume, with close to 22% of its sales.
How many cars does JETOUR sell a year?
According to the brand, it sold 622,590 vehicles in 2025, 9.5% more than in 2024. Its stated target, reported by Reuters, is to reach 2 million units a year by 2030, half of them outside China.
In how many countries is JETOUR present?
In more than 100 countries, with over 2,000 sales and service points, according to the brand. Business Review credits it with more than 2.5 million cumulative customers as of August 2026.
Where are JETOUR vehicles built?
Mainly in China. The T2 has also been assembled in Malaysia since March 2026 and in Pakistan since September 2026; the Rosslyn plant in South Africa will produce the T series from 2027 and there is an agreement to manufacture in Egypt.
Who backs JETOUR in Panama?
Petromotors, the brand’s official distributor in the country, which publishes a warranty of 7 years or 200,000 km.
Related articles
- What JETOUR is and why it wins awards on four continents
- Why car brands launch their models in Panama
- Almost one in three new cars in Panama is Chinese
- Best-selling car brands in Panama
- Guide to buying a Chinese car in Panama
Sources
- PR Newswire, JETOUR press release with 2025 worldwide sales (4 January 2026).
- Business Review, launch in Romania and cumulative customers (11 September 2026).
- GCC Business News, the brand’s strategy in the Middle East (24 September 2026).
- CarNewsChina, Chery’s exports and the weight of each brand in the group (2 January 2026).
- GlobeNewswire, JETOUR press release on the T2’s 500,000 units (12 June 2026).
- Sowetan, Reuters report on the 2 million unit target (24 April 2026).
- Mail & Guardian, opening of the Rosslyn plant (3 July 2026).
- Business Today Egypt, industrial agreement with the El-Kasrawy group (21 May 2025).
- paultan.org, assembly of the T2 in Malaysia (13 March 2026).
- PakWheels, local assembly of the T2 i-DM in Pakistan (4 September 2026).
- Mercado Valor, Reuters report on a possible shared factory in Brazil (6 August 2026).
- Best Selling Cars Blog, Saudi Arabian market in the first half of 2026.
- Best Selling Cars Blog, Iraqi market in the first quarter of 2026.
- cars.co.za, JETOUR sales in South Africa with naamsa data (5 February 2025).
- IOL, the 15 best-selling brands in South Africa in June 2026.
- El CEO, JETOUR’s growth in Mexico with AMDA data (2 September 2026).
- Yahoo Finance, Reuters report on the start of sales in Poland (16 September 2025).
- CarExpert, planned arrival in Australia in 2027 (1 May 2026).
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