In April this year, China’s excavator sales amounted to 28,745 units, up 29.8 percent year on year, as announced by China-based Construction Machinery and Equipment (CME).
In particular, in April, excavator sales in the Chinese domestic market amounted to 16,920 units, increasing by 34.9 percent year on year, while excavator sales to the export markets totaled 11,825 units, up 23.2 percent year on year.
In the January-April period this year, China’s excavator sales totaled 102,081 units, up 22.2 percent year on year. In the given period, excavator sales in the Chinese domestic market amounted to 56,499 units, increasing by 15 percent year on year, while excavator sales to the export markets totaled 45,582 units, up 32.5 percent year on year.
The machinery sector has become among the most important for the steel sector amid the shifting of demand from real estate to manufacturing and high-end equipment. In 2025, machinery manufacturing was a major driver of Chinese steel demand, accounting for approximately 30-35 percent of total steel consumption. The manufacturing industry (including machinery, automotive and shipbuilding) overall consumed 50 percent of China's steel in 2024 and around 51 percent in 2025.