Export Scale Hits a New Peak, Market Layout Continues to Expand
According to authoritative industry data, China's semi-trailer export volume reached 167,000 units in 2024, an increase of 14,000 units compared with 2023, a year-on-year growth of 9.4%; the export value exceeded 38 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.1%, and the average export unit price of a single semi-trailer increased by 2.5% year-on-year. This ended the previous growth model of "trading price for volume" and achieved simultaneous growth in both volume and price.
In terms of market layout, the export map has further expanded, covering 132 countries and regions around the world. Among them, countries along the Belt and Road contributed 74.6% of the export volume, becoming the core growth driver. Traditional key markets maintained steady growth: Mongolia, as the largest export destination, saw its annual export volume increase by 15.2% year-on-year; emerging markets performed particularly prominently: Vietnam jumped to the second largest export country with a growth rate of 86.61%, and order volumes from African countries such as Tanzania and Nigeria doubled. The combined share of Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa markets rose to 68%.
Product Structure Accelerates Upgrading, Core Competitiveness Improves Significantly
Lightweight has become a "standard advantage" of export products. The penetration rate of aluminum alloy materials in exported semi-trailers has reached 31.5%, an increase of 5.8 percentage points compared with 2023. Semi-trailers adopting aluminum alloy frames and wheel hubs have an average weight reduction of 1.8 tons per vehicle, which can help overseas users reduce fuel costs by 10%-15%, making them "best-sellers" in logistics-intensive markets such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Breakthroughs in intelligence and new energy have accelerated. In high-end export models, the configuration rate of intelligent features such as Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) has reached 18.9%. Intelligent semi-trailers launched by some enterprises can also realize real-time cargo tracking and remote vehicle condition monitoring, adapting to high-end overseas logistics needs; the pilot implementation of new energy semi-trailers has achieved remarkable results. Hydrogen energy semi-trailers have a cruising range exceeding 500 kilometers and have completed small-batch deliveries in Europe, the Middle East and other regions. Electric refrigerated semi-trailers have become an emerging choice in the cold chain logistics market due to their low energy consumption advantages.
Segmented categories show differentiated growth: van-type semi-trailers still dominate exports, accounting for 42%; driven by the expansion of global cold chain logistics, the export growth rate of refrigerated semi-trailers reached 11.3%, far exceeding the industry average; demand for engineering semi-trailers is strong, and orders for tank-type and dump-type semi-trailers in infrastructure construction projects in the Middle East and Africa surged by 23.7% year-on-year.
Enterprises Actively Layout Overseas, Industry Development Prospects Are Broad
Faced with global competition and changes in market demand, domestic semi-trailer enterprises are accelerating their overseas layout. Leading enterprises have reduced logistics costs and tariff barriers and improved local service capabilities by establishing overseas assembly plants and improving after-sales service networks; small and medium-sized enterprises focus on segmented markets, strengthen the durability design of semi-trailers for road conditions in African markets, and customize lightweight van-type semi-trailers for e-commerce logistics in Southeast Asia, forming a differentiated competitive advantage.
Industry experts said that with the accelerated transformation of global logistics towards intelligence and greenization, and the continuous deepening of the Belt and Road Initiative, China's semi-trailer exports are expected to maintain a steady growth momentum. In the future, technological upgrading, brand globalization, and localized operation will become the key for enterprises to break through homogenized competition. It is expected that China's semi-trailer export volume will exceed 180,000 units in 2025, and the proportion of new energy and intelligent semi-trailers will further increase.
