Factories hum on rising overseas demand

Propelled by China's soaring trade value with emerging markets, Agco (Changzhou) Agricultural Machinery Co, a tractor and generator manufacturer in Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, shipped a batch of tractors to Brazil and Ecuador in late February, after seeing its export value grow by nearly 20 percent year-on-year last year, according to Nanjing Customs.

The open-cab versions, destined for tropical regions in South America, are designed to meet basic functional needs while helping local customers reduce costs, said Xiao Jingjin, an executive responsible for the company's manufacturing operations.

"More than 90 percent of our products are exported, and we tailor their design to local conditions, taking into account differences in terrain, usage habits and levels of economic development," said Xiao.

Demand also varies widely across regions.

In African markets, buyers prioritize simple operation, with a preference for tractors that are easy to use and maintain. In Australia, however, customers place greater emphasis on comfort. These differences highlight the need for country-specific product strategies, he added.

Wang Xiaoqian, an official at Changzhou Customs, a branch of Nanjing Customs in Jiangsu, said leading agricultural machinery manufacturers with strong core competitiveness are driving continuous optimization of product structures and greater integration across the industry chain in Jiangsu and other parts of China.

"By mastering key technologies in core components and coordinating upstream and downstream suppliers — including hydraulic systems and high-end sensors — the sector has strengthened supporting capacity and supply chain resilience, helping reduce logistics costs and shorten delivery cycles," said Wang.

Beyond traditional products such as tractors and seeders, Chinese agricultural machinery exports are now flourishing across a broader spectrum. China-made agricultural drones are also accelerating their expansion into global markets. From vineyards in Australia to orange groves in Brazil, these drones are increasingly visible in field operations.

Shen Xiaojun, head of the global marketing department at DJI Agriculture, a unit of Shenzhen, Guangdong province-headquartered drone maker DJI, said the company's latest models feature higher payload capacity and can spray 20 to 30 liters per minute, meeting the irrigation and crop protection needs of a wider range of fruit trees.

"Our agricultural drones have been exported to more than 100 countries and regions," said Shen.

Chen Jianwei, a researcher at the University of International Business and Economics' academy of China open economy studies in Beijing, said foreign trade will remain a stabilizing force for China's growth this year, while closer ties among emerging markets are expected to gain traction as economies broaden their trade networks and China continues to see gains in productivity.

"Overseas demand is unlikely to pose a significant drag in 2026, given the absence of clear signs of a downturn in major economies," Chen said.

Surging global investment in artificial intelligence, coupled with anticipated fiscal support in key markets, is likely to reinforce China's export performance, especially in technology-intensive sectors, he added.