China's auto export volume hit 141,000 in 2022 April, dropping by 17.2 percent compared to March, and 6.6 percent of year-on-year decline, according to auto export data published by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) on Monday.

The Yangtze River Delta, China's auto industrial hub, has suffered most under an Omicron outbreak since the middle March. The operation of Tesla's Gigafactory in Shanghai was suspended twice due to the virus.

The authorities announced a "whitelist" of leading enterprises to this end, and they are streamlining logistics for companies working in key sectors such as automobiles and integrated circuits, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

In addition, three nearby provinces bordering Shanghai have set up a special work group to coordinate the production and supply of upstream and downstream enterprises to ensure smooth inter-provincial transport of components and raw materials.

CAAM data showed that China's auto export in the first quarter of 2022 reached 723,000, year-on-year increase of 39.4.

Shanghai authorities announced on Sunday the restart of business and services activities in phases from Monday, major companies in the automobile sector are also accelerating resumption of operations to make up for lost production and drive the recovery of the sector.