How did China's truck export market perform overseas in 2025?

According to data from the China Automobile Dealers Association, China's truck exports reached 1.065 million units in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 34% and hitting a record high in recent years. This achievement set a new historical record for China's truck export volume.

1. Outperforming the Overall Truck Market and Becoming the Main Driver of Industry Growth

In 2025, China's truck exports grew by 34% year-on-year, outpacing the overall truck market growth rate of 10.7% by approximately 23.3 percentage points.

Truck exports accounted for 28.6% of the total truck market in 2025, an increase of 5 percentage points compared to 23.6% in 2024.

It is evident that China's truck export market became the primary force driving growth in the overall truck market in 2025. 

2. Exports Exceeding One Million Units Set a Historical Record

China's cumulative truck exports reached 1.065 million units in 2025, up 34% year-on-year. This marked the first time in the past five years that export sales surpassed the one-million-unit threshold, setting a new record.

Based on historical export data, prior to 2021, China's truck exports had never exceeded 500,000 units. Therefore, it can be definitively concluded that 2025 was the first year in history that China's truck exports broke through the one-million-unit mark. This achievement was primarily attributed to the following factors:

First, countries along the "Belt and Road" initiative provided tremendous market opportunities. Trucks are essential tools for economic development and construction, playing a pivotal role in advancing the Belt and Road initiative. Most countries participating in the Belt and Road are developing nations where infrastructure projects are expanding, creating strong demand for trucks. Meanwhile, their domestic automotive manufacturing capabilities are relatively low, providing China with greater market opportunities for truck exports.

Second, this success was due to innovations in overseas investment and management models by China's mainstream truck manufacturers.

Third, it benefited from significant growth in demand from export markets such as Vietnam, Ecuador, Nigeria, and Algeria.

According to data from the China Automobile Dealers Association, in 2025, export volumes to Vietnam, Ecuador, Nigeria, and Algeria all showed substantial year-on-year increases of 83%, 139%, 127%, and 152% respectively. Moreover, cumulative exports to these countries all ranked within the top 10, providing strong support for achieving the highest export volume in history. 

3. Light Trucks Led the Growth with a Stronger Dominant Position

Among various categories of truck exports in 2025:

Light trucks accumulated 557,000 units in exports, up 45% year-on-year, outperforming and leading the overall truck export market. With a market share exceeding half (52.3%), they ranked first and maintained a stronger dominant position.

Heavy trucks (excluding tractors) accumulated 168,000 units in exports, up 18.3% year-on-year, underperforming the overall truck export market. They held a 15.8% market share, ranking second.

Tractors accumulated 150,000 units in exports, up 1.4% year-on-year, underperforming the overall truck export market. They achieved a 14% market share, ranking third.

Medium trucks accumulated 79,000 units in exports, ranking fourth, up 38.6% year-on-year, outperforming the overall truck export market, with a 7.4% market share.

Off-highway dump trucks accumulated 17,000 units in exports, ranking fifth, up 21.4% year-on-year, with a 1.6% market share.

Other types of trucks accumulated 10,000 units in exports, down 80% year-on-year, with a 0.94% market share, ranking last. 

4. Diesel Power Led the Market, While Plug-in Hybrids Saw the Fastest Growth

In China's truck export market by power type in 2025:

Diesel-powered trucks accumulated 680,700 units in exports, up 26% year-on-year, underperforming the overall market. With a market share exceeding 60% (63.9%), they led the truck export market and became the absolute mainstay of China's truck exports.

Gasoline-powered trucks accumulated 220,000 units in exports, up 25% year-on-year, underperforming the overall market, with a 20.66% market share, ranking second.

Pure electric trucks accumulated 84,800 units in exports, up 251% year-on-year, outperforming the overall truck export market, with a 7.96% market share, ranking third.

Plug-in hybrid trucks accumulated 52,600 units in exports, up 330% year-on-year, leading growth in the truck export market, with a 4.94% market share, ranking fourth. 

5. Fuel-powered Trucks: Mexico, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia Ranked Top Three.

New Energy Trucks: Australia, Mexico, and Uzbekistan Ranked Top Three

Among the top 10 destinations for China's fuel-powered truck exports in 2025, Mexico was the only country exceeding 80,000 units, claiming the top spot by a strong margin. Vietnam ranked second with 68,105 units, and Saudi Arabia ranked third with 36,665 units. Chile also exceeded 30,000 units (35,882), ranking fourth. The remaining export destinations all had volumes below 30,000 units.

Among the top 10 export destinations, 8 showed year-on-year growth while 2 declined. Algeria led the growth with a 152% year-on-year increase.

Among the top 10 destinations for China's new energy truck exports in 2025, Australia was the only country exceeding 20,000 units, claiming the championship. Mexico ranked second with 9,662 units, and Uzbekistan ranked third with 7,626 units. The remaining export destinations all had volumes below 7,000 units. All top 10 export destinations showed year-on-year growth, with Uzbekistan leading the surge at 5,270% year-on-year. 

In 2026, as international situations continue to evolve, China's truck export market will face both more opportunities and challenges. How to seize opportunities and achieve high-quality exports has become a core proposition that industry enterprises must collectively address.

To this end, enterprises need to proactively build more resilient international supply chains, deepen the intelligent and new energy transformation of their products, and simultaneously strengthen dynamic analysis of policies and demand in key markets. Through the coordinated overseas expansion of technology, services, and brands, they should continuously enhance the global competitiveness of Chinese trucks amid changing circumstances.