China's machinery industry posted robust export growth despite global headwinds in the first seven months of 2026, outperforming the country's overall foreign trade growth for 47 consecutive months, the China Machinery Industry Federation (CMIF) said on Thursday.
From January to July, the total exports of China's machinery industry reached 664.3 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 20.8 percent, which is over 2 percentage points higher than the overall growth rate of the country's foreign trade, according to the latest data from the CMIF.
The industry contributed 26.3 percent to China's trade in goods during the period, remaining a cornerstone for foreign trade, the CMIF said.
Industry experts attribute the resilient performance to rising global demand for low-carbon heavy machinery in mines, ports, and new energy power plants, as well as the technological advantages and localized services of domestic manufacturers.
"The sustained export growth is due to years of industrial upgrading and global marketing efforts of the machinery industry. Exports to Belt and Road countries and the EU both achieved double-digit growth, fully demonstrating that Chinese machinery products now suit the needs of economies at different development stages, and that the industry is shifting from pure product exports to full-value-chain service supply," said Ye Dingda, vice president of the CMIF.
China’s machinery industry remains foreign trade growth driver for 47 straight months
