The latest data from the General Administration of Customs shows that from January to September 2025, China exported a total of 109,710 front-end loaders, a year-on-year increase of 16.3%. The export value reached US$2.8 billion, an increase of 8.38% year-on-year. These exports were distributed to 207 countries and regions, demonstrating a steady growth trend.
In terms of quantity, China exported over 1,000 loaders to 26 countries, with five countries exporting over 4,000 units. The US market performed particularly well, topping the list with 22,000 units exported. This volume even exceeded the combined exports of the second to fifth-placed countries, Kazakhstan (5,018 units), Germany (5,010 units), Russia (4,927 units), and Brazil (4,603 units), demonstrating a significant lead.
In terms of export value, which reflects market value, the US also topped the list with nearly US$200 million, demonstrating the importance of North America as a traditionally high-value, mature market. It is worth noting that while the US leads in export volume, the gap in export value is far less pronounced than in sales volume. Russia ($163 million) and Brazil ($121 million) ranked second and third, respectively. Kazakhstan and Belgium also surpassed the $100 million mark in export value, ranking fourth and fifth, respectively. This demonstrates significant differences in product mix and value proposition across different markets.
In terms of tonnage and average price, the US market is primarily dominated by small loaders, with an average tonnage of only 1.7 tons and a relatively low unit price of approximately $8,900. In contrast, countries and regions with a large number of large-scale infrastructure projects, such as Russia, Brazil, and Kazakhstan, tend to purchase medium- and large-sized equipment. These three countries have average tonnages of 7.8 tons, 8.1 tons, and 9.3 tons, respectively, and their unit prices are relatively high. Specifically, the unit price of loaders exported to Russia reached as high as $33,000, more than three times the price in the US market.
Looking at exports by region, Shandong Province (companies registered in Shandong, the same below) exported the most loaders from January to September, with 50,241 units, accounting for 45.8% of the total, and a total value of US$910 million. Jiangsu Province followed closely behind, exporting 25,683 units, accounting for 23.4% of the total, and a total value of US$720 million. Together, these two provinces contributed nearly 70% of national loader exports. Next in order were Guangxi (6,843 units, US$310 million), Fujian (4,989 units, US$150 million), and Xinjiang (4,456 units, US$90 million).
Looking at monthly exports, the industry's growth momentum continues to strengthen. In September, China's front-end loader exports reached 13,600 units, a year-on-year increase of 38.58%, and the export value reached US$306 million, a year-on-year increase of 15.58%. Both the volume and value growth rates were higher than the cumulative growth rates from January to September, indicating that export momentum will be even stronger in the fourth quarter.
