Zhejiang Robot Industry Association
Zhejiang University Robotics Institute
Golden Conference & Exhibition Group
Shanghai Top Sequoia Exhibition Co., Ltd.
Shanghai Berrick Exhibition Co., Ltd.
China's robotics industry is entering a new stage of global expansion, driven by rising international demand for automation, rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), and the country's increasingly mature robotics supply chain.
According to the latest statistics released by the General Administration of Customs of China, China exported 10.377 million robot units between January and May 2026, with total export value reaching RMB 19.99 billion (approximately USD 2.8 billion). Chinese robotics products were shipped to more than 150 countries and regions worldwide, with the European Union (EU) and ASEAN remaining the largest overseas markets.
The latest figures highlight China's growing role not only as the world's largest manufacturing hub, but also as one of the most important suppliers of intelligent automation solutions across the global market.
From Manufacturing Strength to Global Supply Chain Leadership
Over the past decade, China's robotics industry has evolved from import substitution to independent innovation and now to global market expansion.
Today, China has established one of the world's most comprehensive robotics ecosystems, covering robot manufacturing, precision components, controllers, servo systems, sensors, AI software, machine vision, and supporting industrial infrastructure. Chinese manufacturers now export a wide range of products, including industrial robots, service robots, collaborative robots (cobots), logistics robots, educational robots, household robots, and other intelligent robotic systems.
Exporting more than 10 million robot units within the first five months of the year demonstrates the growing confidence of overseas customers in Chinese robotics products. Supported by continuous improvements in product quality, manufacturing efficiency, and cost competitiveness, Chinese robotics companies are increasingly transforming from equipment suppliers into providers of integrated intelligent automation solutions.
Artificial Intelligence Is Accelerating China's Global Robotics Expansion
The rapid development of foundation models, embodied AI, computer vision, multimodal interaction, and autonomous decision-making technologies is reshaping the robotics industry worldwide.
Chinese robotics companies are actively integrating advanced AI capabilities into their products, enabling robots to move beyond repetitive automation toward intelligent perception, environmental understanding, human-robot collaboration, and autonomous task execution.
These technological advances are expanding robotics applications across manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, healthcare, retail, hospitality, education, agriculture, and smart home environments.
At the same time, global demand for automation continues to grow as manufacturers face labor shortages, aging populations, rising labor costs, and ongoing digital transformation. These structural trends are creating significant opportunities for Chinese robotics exporters to expand their international presence.
Humanoid robots have become one of the fastest-growing segments of the global robotics industry.
However, it is important to note that China Customs currently does not publish separate export statistics specifically for humanoid robots. Official customs data currently covers robot exports as a whole rather than individual categories such as humanoid robots.
Although official export figures are unavailable for this segment, China has rapidly become a key participant in the global humanoid robotics supply chain. Chinese companies continue to invest heavily in humanoid robot development, including actuators, precision reducers, dexterous hands, servo motors, machine vision systems, AI software, and embodied intelligence technologies.
Industry analysts generally believe that China's manufacturing scale, supply chain integration, engineering capabilities, and cost advantages position the country as one of the leading global suppliers for next-generation humanoid robotics.
Chinese robotics products are now widely deployed across Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and other international markets.
Different regions are driving demand in different sectors:
Europe continues to invest heavily in industrial automation, collaborative robots, and smart manufacturing.
ASEAN countries are expanding manufacturing capacity, creating strong demand for industrial robots and warehouse automation.
Middle Eastern markets are accelerating smart city initiatives, increasing adoption of service robots, inspection robots, and intelligent public service solutions
Latin America is witnessing rising demand for warehouse automation and intelligent manufacturing solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises.
As overseas demand diversifies, Chinese robotics companies are increasingly focusing on localized services, overseas distribution networks, technical support, and global branding strategies rather than relying solely on product exports.
Chinese robotics exports are no longer driven primarily by OEM and ODM manufacturing.
An increasing number of companies are establishing overseas subsidiaries, regional service centers, and international sales channels while building globally recognized brands.
Meanwhile, China's robotics ecosystem continues to attract growing interest from international investors. Its complete industrial chain, rapid product innovation, and deep integration of AI technologies have positioned China as one of the world's most attractive destinations for robotics investment.
As AI technologies continue to evolve and embodied intelligence moves closer to commercialization, China's robotics exports are expected to maintain long-term growth momentum.
Several trends are likely to shape the industry's next stage of development:
AI-powered robots will become increasingly intelligent and autonomous.
Humanoid robots are expected to gradually enter commercial deployment across multiple industries.
Chinese robotics brands will continue expanding their global market presence.
Localized operations, international partnerships, and after-sales service capabilities will become key competitive advantages.
For overseas distributors, manufacturers, investors, and strategic partners, China's robotics industry is evolving from the world's manufacturing center into a global innovation hub, playing an increasingly important role in the future of intelligent automation.