According to the latest statistics from the China Construction Machinery Association, my country's forklift market continued its steady growth in 2025, with total sales of 1.4518 million forklifts, representing a year-on-year increase of 12.9%, demonstrating strong market resilience.
Steady Performance Throughout the Year, Supported by Both Domestic and External Demand
In 2025, the domestic forklift market exhibited a balanced growth pattern driven by both domestic and external demand. Domestic sales reached 906,800 units, a year-on-year increase of 12.6%; the export market performed exceptionally well, with exports reaching 545,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 13.4%, slightly higher than the growth rate of domestic sales, highlighting the continued competitiveness of Chinese forklift products in the international market.
Looking at monthly data, December sales reached 111,400 units, a slight year-on-year increase of 0.03%. Domestic sales reached 63,800 units, a year-on-year decrease of 5.17%; exports reached 47,600 units, maintaining a year-on-year growth of 7.97%. This monthly fluctuation reflects a short-term adjustment in the domestic market at the end of the year, while exports continued their stable growth momentum.
Deep Product Structure Adjustment, Significant Electrification Trend
Analyzing the breakdown, forklift sales excluding electric pedestrian warehouse vehicles reached 585,200 units for the year, a year-on-year increase of 5.46%, significantly lower than the overall industry growth rate. This comparison reveals the underlying logic of industry growth: electric pedestrian warehouse vehicles have become the core driving force for industry growth.
Calculations show that annual sales of electric pedestrian warehouse vehicles were approximately 866,600 units, accounting for 59.7% of total industry sales. Of these, approximately 58.2% were sold in the domestic market, and a high 62.2% were exported. This indicates that electrification and warehousing-oriented product demand has become the absolute mainstream in the market, and also reflects the higher dependence of the export market on these lightweight, high-efficiency products, highlighting my country's global supply chain position in this product area. The industry's electrification transformation has entered a stage of large-scale and normalized development.
Structural Restructuring Under Steady Growth
Looking at the full-year data, the forklift industry maintained double-digit growth while exceeding 1.45 million units in total sales, confirming that the fundamental market demand remains solid. The continued outperformance of exports compared to domestic sales further demonstrates the competitive advantage of China's forklift manufacturing industry in the global industrial chain.
It is noteworthy that the rapid growth of electric pedestrian-operated warehouse vehicles is highly synchronized with the global logistics industry's trend towards intelligent and green transformation. This category has not only become a major source of industry growth but is also redefining the market boundaries and application scenarios of forklift products.
The short-term pullback in domestic sales in December can be seen as a natural adjustment after rapid market growth. In the long term, manufacturing upgrades, improved logistics efficiency, and the release of demand for warehouse automation will continue to provide a solid foundation for industry growth.
Currently, the focus of industry competition has gradually shifted from scale expansion to technological innovation and product iteration. New energy technologies, intelligent control systems, and ergonomic optimization are becoming key to building differentiated advantages for companies. Against the backdrop of global energy transition and supply chain restructuring, companies with technological depth and market adaptability are expected to occupy a more advantageous position in the next stage of competition.
Data from 2025 paints a picture of an industry that is undergoing profound adjustments and continuing to move forward. Growth is not only reflected in quantity but also in the optimization of product structure and the enhancement of global competitiveness. In the future, how to cultivate products and technologies on the main track of electrification and intelligentization will be the core issue for the industry's continued healthy development.
