At the start of the second quarter of 2026, the domestic construction machinery industry continued its structural recovery. Steady optimization of the global supply chain and a concentrated release of demand for overseas warehousing and logistics infrastructure and aerial work platform projects drove differentiated growth patterns in sub-categories such as forklifts, road machinery, and aerial work platforms. The latest sales data for April shows that the industry as a whole exhibits distinct characteristics: exports outpacing domestic sales, intelligent equipment accelerating its overseas expansion, aerial work platforms experiencing explosive growth, and traditional road machinery seeing slight adjustments. This fully demonstrates the strong resilience and new growth logic of China's construction machinery foreign trade market, providing crucial data support for the strategic planning of companies expanding overseas.
Forklifts, as core equipment in industrial logistics, are the largest and most widely used essential product in the construction machinery category. April's overall sales data was outstanding, with both domestic and international sales increasing. Data shows that in April 2026, the total sales volume of various forklifts reached 159,793 units, a significant year-on-year increase of 22.8%. Looking at the segmented markets, domestic sales reached 100,328 units (including 1,346 AGV intelligent forklifts), a year-on-year increase of 19%. The recovery of domestic manufacturing, the intelligent upgrading of warehousing and logistics, and the expansion of e-commerce supply chains have continuously driven the steady increase in demand for both traditional forklifts and intelligent AGV equipment. The foreign trade market saw even more rapid growth, with exports reaching 59,465 units in April (including 123 AGV intelligent forklifts), a year-on-year increase of 29.9%, far exceeding the growth rate of the domestic market.
Excluding electric pedestrian warehouse vehicles, the core advantages of industrial forklifts became even more prominent. In April, forklift sales excluding electric pedestrian warehouse vehicles reached 60,098 units, a year-on-year increase of 12.8%; of which 39,249 units were sold domestically, a year-on-year increase of 7.51%, and 20,849 units were exported, a year-on-year increase of 24.2%. These figures confirm that overseas markets continue to have strong demand for standardized, heavy-duty industrial forklifts. At the same time, AGV intelligent forklifts are gradually opening up overseas markets, marking a transformation in my country's forklift foreign trade from "large-scale exports" to "intelligent and high-end exports," with continuously improving product added value and international competitiveness.
In the road machinery sector, road rollers and pavers showed a clear divergence. In April 2026, sales of various types of road rollers reached 1,996 units, a year-on-year increase of 16.5%, indicating a stable industry trend. Domestic sales reached 718 units, a year-on-year increase of 12%, supported by the continued implementation of domestic road maintenance and urban and rural road network upgrade projects, which provided strong demand for road rollers. Exports reached 1,278 units, a year-on-year increase of 19.2%, accounting for over 60% of total sales, driven by overseas infrastructure renovation and mining road construction. In contrast, pavers experienced a short-term adjustment, with sales of 159 units in April, a year-on-year decrease of 20.5%; domestic sales were 108 units, a year-on-year decrease of 28%, mainly due to the slowdown in the pace of large-scale road construction projects in China. However, the foreign trade market remained strong, with exports of 51 units, a slight year-on-year increase of 2%, effectively offsetting the risks of a decline in the domestic market and demonstrating the stable acceptance of domestically produced road machinery in overseas markets.
Aerial work platforms became the biggest growth highlight in the industry in April, experiencing explosive growth and representing the most promising growth area for construction machinery foreign trade. In April 2026, sales of aerial work platforms reached 21,059 units, a surge of 43.9% year-on-year, leading the industry in growth rate. Domestic sales reached 7,467 units, a 21% year-on-year increase, driven by continued demand from urban curtain wall construction, stadium construction, and factory maintenance. The export market saw particularly strong growth, with exports reaching 13,592 units, a significant 60.5% year-on-year increase, far exceeding domestic sales and becoming the core driver of category growth. Global safety standards for aerial work continue to upgrade, with traditional scaffolding gradually being replaced by intelligent and safer aerial work platforms. Domestically produced equipment, with its high cost-effectiveness and high safety advantages, is rapidly gaining global market share.
Aerial work vehicles, another category of aerial work platforms, maintained steady growth, with sales reaching 444 units in April 2026, a 29.4% year-on-year increase. Domestic market demand was strong, with sales reaching 399 units, a 34.3% year-on-year increase, driven by continued demand from urban emergency repairs, municipal maintenance, and power engineering. Foreign trade experienced slight short-term pressure, with exports of 45 units, a year-on-year decrease of 2.17%. This is a temporary market fluctuation. In the long term, overseas urban maintenance and power infrastructure demand remains stable, and the growth potential for aerial work platform exports remains vast.
Comprehensive data from all product categories in April clearly shows that the growth logic of the construction machinery industry has completely shifted. The past model of relying on domestic infrastructure to drive industry growth is gradually coming to an end. Export-driven growth, intelligent upgrades, and breakthroughs in the aerial work platform sector have become the new main themes for industry development. Exports of forklifts, road rollers, and lifting platforms all saw high growth, especially lifting platforms, which achieved over 60% growth in foreign trade, demonstrating the leading advantage of Chinese construction machinery in emerging niche markets. The continued export of AGV intelligent forklifts also signifies that the industry has officially entered a new stage of intelligent foreign trade.
For construction machinery foreign trade companies, now is the golden time to establish a presence in high-quality overseas markets. In the future, the expansion of global logistics infrastructure, the upgrading of urban aerial work platforms, and the iterative development of road maintenance demand will continue to drive the export growth of related equipment. Enterprises can focus on developing their advantageous export categories such as forklifts, lifting platforms, and road rollers, continuously optimize their intelligent equipment product matrix, adapt to the construction standards and scenario requirements of different overseas regions, and rely on high-quality products and a sound after-sales system to continuously expand their overseas market presence and consolidate the core competitiveness of Chinese construction machinery in the global market.
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