On August 12, the press conference for bauma CHINA 2026 (International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines, Construction Vehicles and Equipment) was held in Shanghai. Su Zimeng, President of the China Construction Machinery Association, attended the event and delivered a speech.
The following is the full text of Su Zimeng's speech.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:
Good afternoon!
Welcome to Shanghai for today’s press conference. I am delighted to gather here with you all to witness this significant moment for bauma CHINA 2026. First, on behalf of the China Construction Machinery Association (CCMA) and the Chinese organizers of the exhibition, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your long-standing care and support regarding the development of China’s construction machinery industry and the success of bauma CHINA. I also wish to thank Mr. Rummel for traveling all the way from Munich, Germany, to attend today’s event.
Since the last edition of bauma CHINA, enterprises across the industry have proactively adapted to changing market conditions, overcoming difficulties and rising to challenges through hard work and determination; consequently, the industry's key economic indicators have remained stable and robust.
In 2025, based on comparable statistical data from the annual reports of key industry enterprises, the sector achieved a 7.15% year-on-year increase in operating revenue compared to 2024. Operational data from the current year indicates that this positive growth momentum is continuing.
According to the Association’s preliminary statistics, the operating revenue of key monitored enterprises rose by 15.5% year-on-year in the first half of this year—a growth rate significantly higher than those recorded in 2024 and 2025.
Regarding sales volumes across twelve product categories tracked by the Association, ten categories achieved year-on-year growth in the first half of the year, while only truck-mounted cranes and tower cranes saw a decline. The specific figures for the ten categories showing growth are as follows: 152,320 excavators sold (up 26.4% year-on-year) and 82,052 loaders sold (up 26.7%). Ranked by growth rate, the other products performed as follows: crawler cranes (+35.4%), road rollers (+22.8%), lifting work platforms (+20.6%), motor graders (+17.1%), industrial vehicles (+16.6%), truck cranes (+15.4%), pavers (+6.97%), and aerial work vehicles (+2.21%).
Based on data compiled from Customs, my country’s total import and export trade volume for construction machinery reached US$35.627 billion in the first half of 2026, representing a year-on-year increase of 20.5%. Of this total, imports amounted to US$1.254 billion (down 5.36% year-on-year), while exports reached US$34.373 billion (up 21.7% year-on-year). Specifically:Regarding exports to the six continents during the first half of the year, exports to Asia totaled US$13.52 billion (up 10.4%); to Europe, US$6.815 billion (up 16.2%); to Africa, US$6.027 billion (up 50.7%); to South America, US$4.051 billion (up 35.3%); to North America, US$2.66 billion (up 23.1%); and to Oceania, US$1.299 billion (up 32.4%).
In terms of the distribution and trends of major regional export markets, exports to Africa and Latin America totaled US$10.08 billion (up 44.1%); to ASEAN, US$5.561 billion (up 23.6%); to the 27 EU member states, US$3.626 billion (up 28.9%); and to the North American Free Trade Area, US$3.284 billion (up 26.2%).
Total exports to countries and regions along the "Belt and Road" initiative reached US$14.723 billion, accounting for 42.83% of total exports and representing a year-on-year increase of 9.13%. Exports to the nine BRICS nations totaled US$8.971 billion, accounting for 26.1% of total exports and rising 8.23% year-on-year.
My country's new-energy construction machinery sector has maintained strong growth momentum. According to preliminary industry statistics, major enterprises sold a cumulative total of 25,445 electric loaders in the first half of the year (up 82.4% year-on-year) and 321 electric excavators (up 129%). Sales of electric forklifts reached 691,215 units—an increase of 23.7% over the same period last year—accounting for 82.8% of total forklift sales. The market share of electric aerial work platforms, electric off-highway dump trucks, and electric concrete machinery continues to expand. From mines to municipal projects, and from ports to tunnels, Chinese zero-emission construction machinery is gaining recognition among an increasing number of domestic and international users, thanks to its combined advantages of zero emissions, low noise, high efficiency, and low costs. It is projected that China's construction machinery industry will maintain steady revenue growth in 2026 and 2027. Key trends include increased investment in technological innovation, optimized overseas business layouts, and continued growth in exports. The market penetration of new-energy construction machinery will rise, with expanded production and application of products such as electric excavators. Intelligent construction equipment and smart construction scenarios will see wider adoption in major projects, while digital transformation advances and energy consumption levels decrease further.
The construction machinery industry spans a wide range of sectors. Driven by social progress—particularly the accelerating trend of replacing manual labor with machines and the empowerment provided by AI and other next-generation technologies—the application scope of construction machinery is expanding, pointing to a vibrant future for the industry.
Overall, the industry has significantly enhanced its innovation capabilities, made steady progress in industrial base revitalization, and improved the modernization of its supply chain. Significant achievements have been realized in the development and application of major technical equipment, alongside continuous breakthroughs in intelligent, green, and integrated development. Meanwhile, the industry continues to advocate against "involutionary" (cutthroat, zero-sum) competition. Enterprises are focusing on technological innovation, product reliability, scientific management, and service excellence. By adhering to a demand-oriented approach and leveraging brand leadership, they are developing competitive mid-to-high-end products, striving to create value for users while strengthening their own development capabilities.
At bauma CHINA 2026, exhibitors are expected to showcase a wide array of new technologies, products, and solutions. These will range from complete machines to key materials and core components; from upgrades of traditional products to the application of new-energy power and digital-intelligent technologies; and from meeting domestic market needs to achieving global service capabilities. The number of industry enterprises registering for bauma CHINA this year has exceeded expectations. Given the current capacity of the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), if bauma CHINA 2026 were held solely at that venue, over a thousand exhibitors would be unable to secure on-site display space. To ensure that companies wishing to exhibit have the opportunity to showcase their achievements, the organizers—following thorough research and extensive consultation with exhibitors—have decided to adopt a brand-new "one exhibition, two venues" model for bauma CHINA 2026. The event will take place simultaneously at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre and the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center to accommodate the projected scale of approximately 400,000 square meters and the anticipated participation of over 4,000 exhibitors.
To ensure the success of this "one exhibition, two venues" model, Messe Muenchen Shanghai, together with our Chinese organizing partners, has made meticulous arrangements regarding layout planning, visitor organization, event scheduling, media promotion, technology application, and operational support; details of these plans were presented at today's press conference.
In short, the organizing parties are fully committed to meeting exhibitors' space requirements for bauma CHINA 2026 through this dual-venue format, and we warmly welcome the continued interest and support of exhibitors, visitors, and the media.
Finally, I wish today's press conference and bauma CHINA 2026 complete success. I also wish all our guests good health, happiness for your families, and all the best in your endeavors.
