The China Machine Tool and Tool Builders' Association (CMTBA) has released the latest statistics on the total import and export volume of machine tool products, which reached $10.6 billion from January to April 2025, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 5.4%. Imports accounted for $3.35 billion, reflecting a slight decrease of 0.2% compared to the previous year. Specifically, the import value of metal cutting machine tools was $1.62 billion, marking a year-over-year increase of 1.7%, while the import value of metal forming machine tools was $190 million, showing a significant decline of 18.9%.
China's manufacturing purchasing managers’ index for April and May stood at 49 and 49.5, respectively. These figures indicate that the manufacturing sector has gradually improved after a period of softness, particularly in areas such as production and demand.
The following sectors are emerging hotspots:
Low-Altitude Economy: This sector is a comprehensive economic model driven by various low-altitude flight technologies, including manned and unmanned aerial vehicles. Key products in this market include drones, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL), helicopters, and traditional fixed-wing aircraft. This sector contains two primary scenarios: civil consumption and industrial applications. China's civil drone industry is estimated to exceed $28 billion by 2025, with industrial-grade drones becoming the primary models and eVTOLs emerging as rising stars, rapidly advancing toward commercialization. In the coming years, the low-altitude economy is predicted to evolve into a hundred-billion-dollar industry in China.
Robotics Manufacturing Industry: China views the robotics industry a critical factor for transforming and upgrading its manufacturing sector. The government has implemented supportive policies to facilitate the industry's rapid development. China's robotics industry is projected to grow to around $55 billion during the 15th “Five-Year Plan” period, from 2026 to 2030. In the first quarter of 2025, industrial robot and service robot production reached 149,000 units and 2.6 million units, respectively, marking year-over-year increases of 26% and 20%. The penetration rate of industrial robots is expected to rise significantly over the next five years, while service robots will continue to evolve, with humanoid robots being pushed into the market. On one hand, new technologies are accelerating industrial evolution; on the other, the transformation of the manufacturing and service industries is creating vast opportunities. Consequently, China's robotics industry is entering a period of rapid development, promising numerous prospects for manufacturing industries.
Here are a few recently announced projects and investment news items:
Makikawa Transmission will invest $110 million in the first phase of a project to build a new facility and purchase production equipment for manufacturing precision reducers, with an annual output of 600,000 units.
COMAC Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing plans to invest $1.4 billion to ensure the manufacturing capacity of core components, assembly, and integration will meet the annual output of 50 C919 aircraft.
Guangdong Haichuang International will invest $415 million to build 11 workshops and purchase relevant production equipment for manufacturing robots in Foshan, located in the Greater Bay Area.
Tangshan Gotion Battery, a subsidiary of Gotion Hi-tech Group, will invest $480 million to build production lines for battery cells to achieve an annual capacity of 10 GWh for heavy-duty truck applications in Hebei Province.
Huangye Zhimu Mechanical Manufacturing will invest $64 million to build a new facility for the die and molds smart manufacturing center project in Zhejiang.
For more information, please contact Fred Qian at fredqian@AMTchina.org, and to learn how to take advantage of these opportunities, click here.
