HEFEI -- Chery Auto, China's largest automaker, said on Sept 9 that its automobile exports hit a record high in August due to a recovering global auto market and expansion at overseas plants.

Chery exported 19,017 cars last month, an annual increase of 83.6 percent, the company said in a news release posted on its website.

The company's exports for the January-August period reached 107,851 units, up 88.2 percent from a year earlier, the release said. The company's export target for this year is 120,000 units, according to the release.

Chery spokesman Jin Gebo said the company entered a new phase of rapid overseas growth this year with the recovery of the global automobile market and rising production at overseas plants.

The company's overseas output currently accounts for over 50 percent of the company's export volume, Jin said.

Chery sold 682,000 cars last year, making it China's best-selling domestic brand for the 10th year in a row.