Direct answer: You can get it, and the window is right now-exports of mechanical and electrical products in the first eight months of 2026 will be 12.91 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase21.9%, accounting for 64% of the total export value and has been growing for 18 consecutive months; among them, automobile exports increased by 47.1%, ships increased by 29.8%, and industrial robots increased by 13%(General Administration of Customs of China）。In the same data, the import and export of mechanical and electrical products was 19.1 trillion yuan, an increase of 24.9%, the import and export of integrated circuits increased by 68.1%, and computers and parts increased by 60.5%.
This set of numbers has direct implications for factories: the 64% proportion shows that the focus of overseas buyers 'purchasing lists has shifted from light industrial commodities to equipment, components and complete systems. You don't need to make your own cars, but you can also enjoy the 21.9% growth rate when making structural parts, wiring harnesses, and sensor casings in the automobile industry chain.
What is the concept of 64%: Export shelves have been replaced
The export of mechanical and electrical products was 12.91 trillion yuan, accounting for 64% of the total export value, growing for 18 consecutive months. In other words, for every 100 yuan exported by China, 64 yuan is for electromechanical products. In August, imports and exports in a single month were 4.65 trillion yuan, an increase of 19.8%, of which imports increased by 21.7%, higher than exports by 18.6%, indicating that domestic production lines are continuing to replenish equipment and central parts, and intelligent transformation itself is also creating purchasing demand.
What it means for the factory: Relying on the labor-intensive, low value-added, and uncertified product structure, we can only grab orders from the stock; customers are now looking for suppliers who can produce drawings, make changes, and provide test reports. This threshold is not high, but it requires preparation in advance and cannot be filled temporarily.
The three fastest and easiest tracks to cut into
- Automobiles and new energy matching: Automobile exports increased by 47.1%, and imports and exports of the "three new products" such as electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaics increased by 40% year-on-year. The entry points are structural parts, connectors, thermal management parts, and charging accessories.
- Ships and offshore engineering: Ship exports increased by 29.8%. The entry point is marine outfitting, pipe fittings, and electrical control cabinets.
- Industrial robots and automation: Industrial robot exports increased by 13%. The entry point is the assembly of machined parts, fixtures, cables and electrical control cabinets.
The common points of the three tracks are clear: all require certification, drawing capabilities, and batch consistency. In other words, the threshold is not on the equipment, but on the management and process documents. Whoever can make solid work instructions, inspection specifications, and batch records can be included in the supplier list.
How long is the window: It is still expanding from the demand side
First, the number of buyers is increasing. The 140th Canton Fair (October 15-November 4) had pre-registration from 196 countries and regions, more than 210,000 overseas buyers, 32,000 exhibitors, specialized and innovative, and more than 11,000 individual champions. Second, procurement standards are rising: this year's Canton Fair new products accounted for 23.2%, and green products accounted for 26%, both reaching record highs. It also introduced AI solicitation push and buyer labeling systems for the first time. 64% of exhibitors have already Integrate the industrial Internet or AI into production and supply chains (Canton Fair Report）。Third, the green threshold is hardening: the "China Green Trade Development Report (2026)" shows that my country's green trade import and export will be US$802.251 billion in 2025, ranking first in the world in scale, and supporting green access requirements will follow orders.
7 tables to read the demand side (a list of main track data)
| Track/Indicator | Scale or proportion | year on year |
|---|---|---|
| export of mechanical and electrical products | 12.91 trillion yuan (accounting for 64% of exports) | +21.9% |
| auto exports | -- | +47.1% |
| ship export | -- | +29.8% |
| Industrial robot exports | -- | +13% |
| "Three New Products" Import and Export | -- | +40% |
| Integrated circuit import and export | -- | +68.1% |
3 realistic paths for the factory to hitch a ride
- Path 1: Provide secondary and tertiary supporting facilities。Don't touch the whole machine, concentrate on machining parts, injection molded parts, wire harnesses, and sheet metal parts, and rely on delivery time and batch consistency to get orders. Suitable for factories with existing production lines and process foundations, with minimum investment in transformation.
- Path 2: Make a single piece into a module。Upgrade parts to functional modules with inspection, packaging and installation instructions. One less item on the customer purchase list will give you more space in your quotation. Cooperating with customers to do drawing review is the core action of this step.
- Path 3: Follow the certification。Green products accounted for 26% of this year's Canton Fair, a record high, and certification and testing reports have changed from bonus points to admission items. Give priority to making up for the necessary certifications in the target market, and then talk about products and prices.
3 issues that factory owners are most concerned about
Question 1: Without a technical team, can we provide intelligent export facilities?
There is no need to develop a self-developed complete machine to make supporting equipment. Taking the chain of industrial robot exports growing by 13% as an example, what the whole machine factory really lacks is machined parts, fixtures, cables and electronic assembly. Most of them are standard processes with strict tolerances. The key inputs are three: equipment accuracy (Processing center, testing measuring tools), process documents (work instructions, inspection specifications), sample and batch records. These three things are more practical than hiring a high-paying engineer and easier to be reviewed and recognized by customers.
Question 2: Should we go on AI and the Industrial Internet now?
The data shows that AI application rate of cross-border e-commerce enterprises exceeds 60%(institutional calculation), and 64% of exhibitors in the 140th Canton Fair integrate industrial Internet or AI into production and supply chain. But for small and medium-sized factories, the first step is not to buy a large system, but to turn the four tables of order, production scheduling, quality inspection, and shipment into query-able electronic records, so that customers can call up data on the spot during review. Use lightweight tools to run through this chain first, and then talk about deeper intelligence. Investment and risks are controllable.
Question 3: How long can it take to see changes in orders?
Referring to the external rhythm: Exports of mechanical and electrical products have increased for 18 consecutive months. The 140th Canton Fairwas launched on October 15, and more than 210,000 buyers from 196 countries and regions were pre-registered. The proportion of new products and green products has reached a new high. Certification, testing, and samples usually need to be prepared one or two procurement cycles in advance. If the target market is in the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa (an increase of 14.5% for Latin America and an increase of 18.5% for Africa), only then can we catch up with the next procurement pace by completing the documents and samples. We won't talk about the results, but we can make one point clear: the sooner the information is prepared, the sooner the quotation will enter the customer's selection list.
Conclusion and action recommendations
Exports of mechanical and electrical products accounted for 64%, growing for 18 consecutive months, indicating that the main force of China's manufacturing going global has shifted from daily necessities to equipment and components; automobiles have increased by 47.1%, ships have increased by 29.8%, and industrial robots have increased by 13%. The supporting demand in these three chains is real. The factory's actions can be divided into three steps: select a chain with its own process closest, supplement the necessary certification and testing for the target market, and make the delivery rate and batch pass rate into verifiable data. By doing these three things, you will go from being an "alternative supplier" to a "supplier of record." If you want to evaluate your factory's overseas plans, you can contact Qihang AI (telephone 180-0327-6609).
This article was written by Qihang Zhilian Trade Research Institute and was released on September 20, 2026. The data is as of the latest release of General Administration of Customs of China.
