China says it now makes over half the world’s humanoid robots

China's exports jumped 27 percent year-on-year in June to $412.39 billion, the fastest pace in 53 months, as surging global demand for artificial intelligence hardware, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing lifted the country's trade performance well beyond market expectations.euronews+2

The customs data, released on July 14 by the General Administration of Customs, showed hi-tech product exports rising 52.2 percent year-on-year in June, with semiconductor exports up 96.1 percent in the first half of the year. China sold 32 billion integrated circuits to the world in June alone, according to Reuters ↗ 2.92%, reflecting what ING economists described as "the recent surge in semiconductor prices on the back of the AI boom".reuters+3

Robots and Quadrupeds Lead a New Export Wave

China's robotics sector has emerged as a powerful new contributor to foreign trade. In the first five months of 2026, robot exports totaled 10.377 million units worth nearly 20 billion yuan ($2.98 billion), shipped to more than 150 countries. Industrial robot exports reached 6.29 billion yuan (about $929 million) in the first half, up 18.6 percent year-on-year. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reported on Monday that Chinese-made quadruped robots accounted for nearly 70 percent of global sales during the first six months of 2026. China has also developed more than 400 humanoid robot models, representing over half the global total, with production already exceeding 40,000 units in the first half.equalocean+4

Equipment Manufacturing and EVs Reinforce Structural Shift

Equipment manufacturing became a defining force in China's export profile. According to Xinhua, citing MIIT data released Monday, the sector's export delivery value rose 18.2 percent year-on-year in the first half and contributed nearly 50 percent of growth in industrial exports. Automobile exports reached 5.096 million units in the first half, up 65.3 percent, with monthly car exports topping one million for the first time in June.reuters+2

The electric vehicle sector added further momentum. EV exports rose 68.7 percent in the first half, while new energy vehicles accounted for over half of June's vehicle exports for the first time. Chinese plug-in hybrid exports to the EU have surged as those models remain exempt from the additional tariffs imposed on battery electric vehicles since October 2024 — PHEV shipments to the bloc rose 892 percent year-on-year in early 2025, a trend that has continued to accelerate amid EU preparations for new countervailing duties on hybrids.carnewschina+3

China's trade surplus widened to $125.6 billion in June from $105.4 billion in May, underscoring the growing gap between robust overseas demand and sluggish domestic consumption that continues to challenge Beijing's economic policymakers.scmp+1