China's hydrogen industry has seen a significant increase in export orders for electrolysers, driven by a global shift towards clean energy and a growing number of green hydrogen projects abroad.
Electrolysers, the key equipment used to produce hydrogen from water, are likely to become a new growth driver for the export sector following batteries, photovoltaics, and electric vehicles.
One leading Chinese electrolyser manufacturer in Handan City, north China's Hebei province, has already doubled its production in the first half of this year compared to the same period of last year, with export orders primarily coming from Europe and North America.
The company is actively expanding its production capacity, with over 50 percent of its future output earmarked for overseas markets.
"Our current production capacity is 350 sets of water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment per year, and by the same period of next year, this number will reach over 1,000," said Ding Rui, deputy general manager of the hydrogen energy technology company. Industry experts highlight the growing global trend of using renewable energy sources like solar and wind power to produce green hydrogen through water electrolysis. This has led to a significant increase in green hydrogen projects under construction and planning worldwide.
The Middle East and North Africa, which are rich in renewable energy resources, are particularly eager to import electrolyser equipment due to their limited domestic supply capacity. This presents significant market opportunities for Chinese electrolyser manufacturers.
"According to our statistics, by 2030, global green hydrogen production capacity will exceed 40 million tons per year, corresponding to an electrolyser installed capacity of about 460 gigawatts, creating a vast market space worth nearly a hundred billion dollars," said Zhang Yu, secretary-general of the Hydrogen Energy Branch of the China Association for the Promotion of Industry Development.
China's hydrogen industry rides green wave with electrolyser export skyrocketing
Long-standing challenges in Mexico's automotive industry have been exacerbated with the implementation of the U.S. tariff on imported cars, which took effect Thursday, fueling uncertainty and job losses.
Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on all imported automobiles.
Ciudad Juarez, one of Mexico's largest trade ports and a key manufacturing hub, is now facing even greater challenges as rising trade protectionism deepens existing pressures.
At a medal parts manufacturing factory that has been in operation for over 30 years, the workforce has drastically reduced from 60 workers to just 25 due to uncertainty about the future.
Even before the U.S. tariffs on imported cars took effect, mounting pressure had already begun to ripple through the industry, prompting many companies to suspend investment and procurement plans.
"Some 95 percent of the products exported from Chihuahua, where Ciudad Juarez is located, are industrial manufactured goods. We have held multiple meetings to discuss solutions. In fact, over the past year and a half, more than 55,000 factory workers here in the city have lost their jobs," said the owner of the factory.
The automotive industry is a key pillar of Mexico's economy, generating nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars in output. The auto parts assembly industry alone provides over 900,000 jobs for the country, while automotive assembly companies create 175,000 jobs.
According to statistics from the Mexican Association of Automotive Dealers (AMDA), over 40 percent of the components used by American auto manufacturers are imported from Mexico. Last year, Mexico produced four million cars, approximately three million of which were exported to the U.S.
Industry insiders indicate that due to the high degree of interdependence in the sector between the U.S. and Mexico, along with a shortage of skilled labor, the U.S. goal of bringing automotive manufacturing back to its shores through tariffs is unlikely to be realized in the short term.
Moreover, the established industrial chain in Mexico faces the risk of being disrupted, which will ultimately have repercussions on consumer spending and further exacerbate inflation in the long run.
"Young people from the U.S. are no longer willing to work in the manufacturing sector. I believe there will be no growth in the relocation of automotive parts and vehicles factories in the short term," said Guillermo Rosales Zarate, ADMA's executive president.
"Personally, I hope this avalanche of tariffs doesn't continue; otherwise, it will lead to more significant issues affecting the U.S. economy. If these tariffs remain in place long-term, it will be the American people who suffer the most," said Ricardo Ramos, a professor with the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez.
U.S. automotive tariffs deepen industry pressures, halt investments in Mexico
