BEIJING - China's pickup truck sales dropped 11 percent year-on-year in the first four months of the year due to COVID-19 disruptions to production, industry data showed.

A total of 165,000 pickup trucks were sold during the period, according to the China Passenger Car Association.

In geographical breakdown, more than 40 percent of the consumer demand for pickup trucks comes from the country's northwestern and southwestern regions.

At present, small and medium-sized cities as well as counties and towns are among the major markets for pickup truck sales, said the association.

The association remains bullish on the future performance of the pickup truck market, highlighting policy incentives for improving product quality and removing travel restrictions to boost consumption.

It projected continuous rapid growth of pickup truck consumption in the long term in China.