China Machinery Industry H1 2026: Value-Added Up 6.4%, Exports Up 20%, Auto Exports Up 53%

The China Machinery Industry Federation released machinery industry data for the first half of 2026. Value-added output of enterprises above designated size rose 6.4% year on year, 1 percentage point higher than the national industrial average during the same period. Industry exports grew 20% year on year, accounting for 26.3% of the country's total goods trade. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the average annual growth rate of machinery industry value-added exceeded 7.1%, with industrial scale, foreign trade, and innovation capacity all developing rapidly.

On the export front, in the first half of the year, machinery industry exports to Belt and Road partner countries, the European Union, and ASEAN grew by 22%, 33.1%, and 19.5%, respectively. Exports of automobiles and electric passenger vehicles rose 53.0% and 76.0%, respectively, while lithium-ion battery export value increased 42.7%. The share of high value-added products in the export structure continued to rise.

In terms of new product output, 3D printing equipment, industrial robots, and industrial automatic regulating instruments and control systems grew by 48.5%, 28.0%, and 25.1%, respectively. In the green energy equipment sector, nuclear power, hydropower, and wind turbine generator output increased by 92.0%, 51.9%, and 11.5%, respectively, while lithium-ion battery production rose 39.3%. Clean energy equipment showed rapid growth momentum.

Among specific industry segments, the machine tool industry saw profits surge 89.2%, reflecting a clear process of upgrading toward high-end and intelligent manufacturing. Electric forklift sales accounted for 80.2% of total forklift sales, and electric loader sales accounted for 31.0% of all loader sales, with domestic electric loader sales reaching as high as 57.5%. Green construction machinery has become an important driver of industry growth.