According to recent data from the Changsha Customs Authority, in the first five months of 2026, Hunan Province's total construction machinery exports reached 17.3 billion CNY, a year-on-year increase of 20.1%, reflecting strong momentum in the industry's global expansion. The African market has become a key driver of growth, with Hunan's construction machinery exports to Africa surging 85.2% year-on-year during this period.

During the January-May period, Hunan exported 14.02 billion CNY of construction machinery to countries involving in the Belt and Road Initiative, up 23.2% year-on-year, accounting for 81.1% of the province's total exports and surpassing the overall growth rate by 3.1 percentage points. By region, Hunan's exports to ASEAN countries rose 27.2%, and those to the five Central Asian countries grew 35.5%. Hunan delivered outstanding performances in the African, Latin American, and EU markets, with exports to the three markets totaling 2.55 billion CNY, 2.5 billion CNY, and 1.16 billion CNY respectively, up 85.2%, 43.7%, and 28.7% year-on-year. Exports to key countries such as Vietnam and Russia also saw steady growth.

The explosive growth in the African market was the biggest highlight during this period. Approximately 75% of Africa's demand for excavators comes from the mining sector. In the first five months, Hunan's construction machinery exports to Mali and Guinea surged by 171.9% and 179.7% respectively, while exports to Ghana also soared 89.1%.

Private enterprises have been the primary driver of export growth. In the first five months, Hunan's private companies exported 15.4 billion CNY of construction machinery, a year-on-year increase of 39.8%, accounting for 89% of the total exports. Foreign-invested enterprises and state-owned enterprises exported 1.73 billion CNY and 170 million CNY respectively. The market entity structure continues to improve, with the private economy unleashing strong foreign trade vitality.

All niche markets performed well, with flagship products selling well overseas. Exports of special-purpose motor vehicles reached 5.33 billion CNY, accounting for 30.8% of the total export volume, with sales of concrete mixer trucks and pump trucks rising 25.2% and 35.4% respectively. Exports of earth-moving machinery such as excavators and loaders totaled 4.63 billion CNY, up 42.2%, with 360-degree rotating crawler excavators surging over 50%. Exports of forklifts, lifting equipment, and freight vehicles all registered growth, with freight motor vehicles particularly soaring 70.8% year-on-year, driven by continued strong demand from overseas infrastructure projects.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.  

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: Chinanews