Cargo ships berth at Lianyungang Port in East China's Jiangsu Province, loading construction vehicles and machinery for export on March 15, 2026. Photo: VCG

Global orders have been pouring in since the start of the year, with production lines for China-made construction machinery operating at full capacity, according to industry data, business insiders and experts interviewed by the Global Times. This reflects the growing international footprint of Chinese construction machinery. 

Exports of construction machinery products reached $10.686 billion in the first two months, up 33.4 percent year-on-year, according to data released by the China Construction Machinery Association (CCMA), CCTV News reported. Even in February, despite the Chinese New Year holiday, exports still exceeded $5.1 billion, exceeding the 2025 monthly average by 5.016 percent, according to the association.

Resilient external demand and continued industrial upgrading are expected to support steady growth, a Chinese analyst said. As this year marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), the country's construction machinery industry is poised to play an increasingly important role in driving the global expansion of high-quality Chinese manufacturing amid robust demand.

Robust trade

As a mid- to downstream industry player in the construction machinery sector, Liu Huayan keeps a close eye on trends in related product exports. As a manager at Xinjiang Hongyunda Freight International Co, she has been engaged in cross-border trade between China and Central Asian countries for many years. Over time, the range of products she handles has expanded from construction materials to machinery, primarily to meet the region's growing industrial demand.

While no significant export growth has been seen in the first two months of this year, mainly because many projects have not yet started, export demand usually becomes more apparent in the second half of the year, Liu said. Central Asia's infrastructure market in roads, railways and new energy facilities is growing rapidly, driving strong demand for construction machinery. Liu said she is confident that exports of these products will remain strong this year.

A recent statement from China's industrial conglomerate XCMG echoes Liu's outlook.

In response to investors regarding overseas market expansion this year, XCMG said the company has a well-established global presence and strong international expansion capabilities, with a marketing network covering more than 190 countries and regions worldwide.

Looking ahead, the company expects the overseas market to continue performing well, with export revenue still able to achieve solid growth. With continuous improvement of domestic product quality, increasingly complete overseas channel layouts by Chinese companies, accelerated development of after-sales service markets, and rising competitiveness of domestic brands, penetration into overseas markets is increasing, the company said.

One recent case from China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co shows how China's construction machinery products are gaining a market edge through their competitive features, enabling them to capture a growing share of the market.

Recently, beside Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, the roar of machinery marked a milestone. China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co's first domestically developed tunnel boring machine (TBM) exported to Switzerland has successfully completed excavation of a water diversion tunnel, the Global Times learned from the company on Monday.

This project enabled a precise tunnel breakthrough and represents the first successful application of a Chinese TBM under the complex geological conditions of the Alps. 

As the first Swiss project to use a Chinese-made TBM, the successful completion not only demonstrates the reliability and advanced capabilities of Chinese TBMs but also lays a solid foundation for domestic high-end equipment to enter the European high-end market, said the company.

Expanding footsteps

The CCMA's latest report also underscores China's diversified trade efforts amid a complex global environment. By region, exports to all continents have increased, with shipments to Africa rising 77 percent, to Oceania rising 50.6 percent, and to Europe rising 28.1 percent. Notably, exports to countries and regions participating in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) totaled $4.638 billion, accounting for 43.4 percent of total exports, a year-on-year increase of 24.6 percent, CCTV News reported.

By product type, exports of construction machinery components, crawler excavators and off-road mining dump trucks saw significant growth. High-end and electric models have become new highlights in export growth.

Commenting on the growing export trend, an official from the CCMA told the media that the competitiveness of China's construction machinery industry continues to improve. In the future, exports are expected to maintain steady growth, serving as an important driver for high-quality "Made in China" products going global, said the report.

The growth is mainly due to a rebound in global infrastructure demand and sustained overseas preference for Chinese products that offer high cost-effectiveness and reliable technology, Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Monday.

The continuous expansion of domestic high-end and electric models also meets the diverse demand for advanced equipment across regions, especially in BRI partner countries, said Li, noting that combined with stable supply chains and competitive pricing, these factors have also kept export volumes high even during the Lunar New Year holiday period.

Looking ahead, steady growth is expected to persist. Driven by the synergy between domestic and international markets, exports are set to expand, and China's share of the global construction machinery market is expected to increase, the expert said.