Chinese pickup‑truck manufacturers are ramping up production and accelerating overseas shipments as exports surge past record levels.
After a record-breaking 2025 when more than half of China's pickup sales - about 300,000 units - went overseas, early 2026 data suggests the export boom is continuing.
At Yangzhou Port in east China's Jiangsu Province, workers were loading 1,500 pickup trucks into containers bound for Mexico, a voyage expected to take 40 days.
"So far this year, the total volume of pickup truck containers shipped from Yangzhou Port has reached about 6,000 TEUs, equating to roughly 18,000 units. That represents a 16 percent increase compared to the same period last year," said Liu Geng, a staff member in the marketing department at Yangzhou Yuanyang Terminal International Ports Co.
At Chang'an Automobile's global R and D center in Chongqing, the company has launched three pickup models for overseas markets, offering dozens of configurations across sizes and price points to meet commercial, family, and outdoor needs.
"In 2025, our overseas export business grew by more than 20 percent year-on-year. Looking at orders from January to February this year, we've seen a year-on-year increase of over 38 percent. The second half of the year is typically our peak season for pickups, and we expect full-year growth to exceed 40 percent," said Shen Chi, Pickup Project Director, Chang'an Automobile.
To meet the rising export demand, production capacity is being expanded across China's pickup sector. At a SAIC Maxus factory in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, vehicles move through stamping, welding, painting and final assembly before rolling off the line.
According to the plant manager, more than 90 percent of the pickups currently on the production line are destined for export, with markets including Australia, Europe, and Latin America. In the first three months of this year alone, the company has added nearly 20 new countries and regions as export destinations.
"This year, we've achieved new breakthroughs in Africa, including South Africa and North Africa, as well as ASEAN and Southeast Asia. Orders for some products are already booked through May or even June. We are now operating two shifts to meet the growth in demand," said Zhao Aimin, Deputy General Manager of SAIC Motor International.
Chinese pickup-truck manufacturers ramp up production as exports surge
