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By Bloomberg

General Motors Co. posted a slower pace of growth in China sales in the first half than in the U.S., as the economy slowed in its biggest market and local competitors flooded the market with cheaper SUV models.

GM and its China joint ventures sold 1.72 million vehicles in the first six months of the year, up 4.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the company. That compares with 4.5 percent growth in the carmaker’s U.S. sales in the same period.

GM was one of several foreign automakers that started offering discounts in the past few months to spur demand amid China’s weaker economic growth and as cheaper sport-utility vehicles from local brands gained ground. The Detroit-based carmaker cut prices of 40 models across various brands in its largest market in May, after deliveries declined in April.

“An evolving product mix is essential for meeting the diverse demand in China,” GM China President Matt Tsien said in a statement. “We will continue to add more new and refreshed models in the second half to keep up our growth momentum.”

The company’s joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp. announced price cuts of as much as 53,900 yuan ($8,685) in May. GM sold 246,066 vehicles in June, it said in the statement, without giving a year-earlier comparison.

GM switched to reporting retail deliveries for China in April. Last year, wholesale deliveries in the country rose 12 percent. The company said last month it expects annual growth of about 6 percent to 8 percent in China.

Buick and Chevrolet deliveries climbed 4.3 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively, in the first six months of this year, while the low-cost Wuling brand fell 5.5 percent.