Under the complex trade situation, how can China's machine tool exports break the deadlock?

In the complex international situation marked by rising unilateral trade protectionism and intensifying geopolitical risks, Chinese machine tool enterprises face unprecedented challenges. However, these companies have not retreated but instead responded proactively, striving to find solutions. At the recent 2025 China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products Machine Tool Division Industry Work Conference and Foreign Trade Situation Seminar held in Guangzhou, attendees offered valuable suggestions, providing new ideas and directions for the development of China's machine tool industry.

"At present, China's machine tool industry demonstrates strong export capabilities and market adaptability in a complex external environment," said Guo Kangxiao, Deputy Secretary-General of the Machine Tool Branch of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products. Customs data shows that in 2024, China's machine tool industry exported a total of $26.85 billion, up 6.1% year-on-year. Among these, the export of complete machine tools reached $11.99 billion, up 7.4%; the export of machine tool spare parts and accessories was $14.86 billion, up 5.1%. In January-February 2025, China's machine tool industry exported a cumulative total of $4.27 billion, maintaining a growth rate of 3.4%. From the perspective of export markets, developed economies or traditional markets still account for nearly one-third of China's machine tool product exports, but their year-on-year growth rates are lower. Emerging markets, countries participating in the "Belt and Road" initiative, and other developing countries not only have a larger share of exports but also show faster year-on-year growth rates, with significant potential for development, making them very suitable for China's machine tool exports. In terms of product structure, in 2024, the export value and quantity of complete machine tools in China maintained consistent year-on-year growth, with little change in prices, indicating that the market positioning and customer base for complete machine tool exports remain stable.

As the global manufacturing industry undergoes transformation and upgrading, the international market's demand for high-end machine tools is growing steadily. Vice President of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, Bao Xuefeng, stated: "Our country's machine tool industry continues to make breakthroughs in technological innovation, with product quality and performance gradually improving. The trend towards intelligence and high-end development is becoming increasingly evident, providing strong support for our expansion into international markets. At the same time, the state is actively optimizing foreign trade policies and encouraging companies to 'go global,' which adds new momentum to the export of machine tool products. The chamber will continue to uphold its mission of serving the industry, guided by corporate needs, striving to build a more complete and efficient service system. We will actively create various platforms for exchange and cooperation, promoting resource sharing and complementary advantages among enterprises, helping them expand into international markets."

Since the beginning of this year, the economic and trade situation between China and the United States has been tense, leading to a decline in export orders, and Chinese machine tool exports have faced difficulties. However, with the growing economic and trade cooperation between China and its "Belt and Road" countries, as well as increased efforts in industrial transformation and upgrading in South America, the Middle East, and Central Asia, opportunities for Chinese machine tool exports still exist. How can Chinese machine tool companies seize these opportunities and further expand into international markets? Yu Dongke, Director of the Machinery Industry Department at the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, mentioned that Chinese machine tool companies should focus on key nodes in the international market, implement localized services, and at the same time, adhere to a path of differentiated development, continuously developing new products and delving into niche markets.

Yu Dongke stated that relying on existing products can no longer meet the demands of the international market. Continuous research and development, as well as the cultivation of new productive forces, have become an inevitable strategy for China's machine tool industry. In line with the major trends of intelligent manufacturing both domestically and internationally, and the integration of informatization and industrialization, continuously improving product technology is key to ensuring the sustainable development of Chinese machine tool enterprises.

Machine tools, as products with a certain level of technical content that require substantial investment and research and development, should not be stifled by excessive low-price disorderly competition. Yu Dongke believes that establishing a sound industry self-discipline system and promoting differentiated product or market competition can not only motivate companies to achieve qualitative leaps but also promote the healthy and orderly development of the machine tool industry. To this end, Chinese machine tool enterprises should focus on brand building, enhance product value-added, and through technological innovation, product upgrades, and service optimization, form differentiated competitive advantages to avoid price wars caused by homogenization competition.

Strengthening talent cultivation and introduction is conducive to enhancing the core competitiveness of China's machine tool industry. Guo Kangxiao mentioned that technological development cannot do without talent. Not only does China need to cultivate talent and learn from advanced manufacturing powers, but it also needs to encourage international industrial cooperation, continuously introducing high-end technical talents to lay a solid foundation and provide impetus for industry development. Chinese machine tool enterprises should strengthen cooperation with universities and research institutions, establish a collaborative innovation mechanism for industry-university-research-application, and cultivate high-quality technical talents and innovative teams. At the same time, actively introduce high-end technical and management talents to enhance the internationalization level and overall strength of enterprises.

In addition, in the face of complex international situations, Yu Dongke believes that Chinese machine tool companies should further expand into overseas markets, particularly accelerating their layout in emerging markets. Chinese machine tool enterprises should closely monitor global economic trends and changes in market demand, and proactively lay out in "Belt and Road" co-building countries, ASEAN, South America, the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, and other emerging markets. They should actively engage in industrial cooperation with local enterprises to broaden their overseas market space.

Note: This news is reproduced from China Workers' Network