Since the beginning of 2025, China's trailer export industry has entered an accelerated development period, injecting strong momentum into the global logistics equipment market. Data shows that the total export volume of China's commercial vehicles reached 327,000 units in the first four months, a year-on-year increase of 13.7%. Among them, truck exports stood at 282,000 units, up 14.4% year-on-year. Semi-trailers, as a core category, have made significant contributions, with the year-on-year growth rate of commercial vehicle exports in April alone reaching as high as 15.3%.
In terms of market layout, traditional advantageous markets have continued to exert their strength. Countries such as Vietnam, Tanzania, and Kazakhstan have become stable "backyards" for exports. Meanwhile, demand in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia has surged, emerging as new bright spots for export growth. This is mainly due to the urgent need for logistics equipment upgrading driven by local infrastructure construction. The Middle Eastern market represented by Saudi Arabia has also shown explosive growth, with diverse scenarios such as desert transportation and urban distribution spurring strong demand for efficient and durable trailers.
Product upgrading has become the core competitiveness. New energy trailers have achieved explosive growth, with export volume increasing by 3.5 times year-on-year in the first four months of 2025. This is attributed to breakthroughs in battery technology and the widespread application of lightweight materials. At the same time, the level of intelligence has been significantly improved. High-end products equipped with advanced driver assistance systems and remote monitoring technology have become the mainstream of exports, accurately meeting the high requirements of overseas markets for transportation efficiency and safety. Domestic enterprises are accelerating production transformation, with the popularization of automated production lines such as laser cutting and robotic welding, ensuring that product quality is in line with international standards.
At the enterprise level, leading companies such as Sinotruk, FAW Jiefang, and CIMC Vehicles have performed outstandingly. CIMC Vehicles has achieved structural reforms through the "Star Chain Plan", with the global semi-trailer business revenue reaching 6.924 billion yuan in the first half of the year, and its market share in China has ranked first for six consecutive years. Enterprises such as Zhumadian CIMC Huajun have greatly improved export efficiency by virtue of the customs' "smart customs clearance" facilitation measures. Since the beginning of this year, the order amount to countries such as Nigeria has exceeded 140 million yuan, doubling year-on-year. Major enterprises are actively deploying overseas production bases and promoting localized operations to effectively cope with international market competition and policy barriers.
Policy support has escorted the development of the industry. National subsidies for new energy vehicles and the improvement of road transportation regulations have promoted enterprises' technological upgrading and product compliance. Customs authorities in various regions have launched facilitation measures such as appointment-based customs clearance and advance declaration, established a "7×24-hour" customs clearance response mechanism, and continuously shortened customs clearance time, reducing the burden and increasing efficiency for trailer exports.
Looking forward, with the recovery of the global logistics industry and the development of e-commerce and cold chain logistics, the demand for trailer exports will continue to grow. Domestic enterprises will further deepen technological innovation, promote the integration of new energy and intelligence, expand emerging markets, and strengthen the construction of overseas service networks, driving China's trailer export industry to achieve higher-quality development.
