China’s automobile sales fell 13.8 percent in February from the same month a year earlier, marking the eighth consecutive month of decline, the country’s biggest auto industry association said.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said sales fell to 1.48 million vehicles last month, after declines of 16 percent in January and 13 percent in December. Sales of new energy vehicles, such as electric cars, rose 53.6 percent year-on-year in February, the group said.

“The trend experienced last year has continued into this year, and the economic situation has also been weak. This has dragged down consumption. Consumers are also waiting for more government policies." CAAM’s Deputy Secretary General Shi Jianhua told.