In May this year, China’s excavator sales amounted to 24,794 units, up 36.2 percent year on year, as announced by China-based Construction Machinery and Equipment (CME).
In particular, in May, excavator sales in the Chinese domestic market amounted to 11,628 units, increasing by 38.6 percent year on year, while excavator sales to the export markets totaled 13,166 units, up 34.2 percent year on year.
In the January-May period this year, China’s excavator sales totaled 126,875 units, up 24.7 percent year on year. In the given period, excavator sales in the Chinese domestic market amounted to 68,127 units, increasing by 18.5 percent year on year, while excavator sales to the export markets totaled 58,748 units, up 32.9 percent year on year.
The machinery sector has become among the most important industrial segments 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 overall manufacturing industry (including machinery, automotive and shipbuilding) consumed 50 percent of China's steel in 2024 and around 51 percent in 2025.
