Broad-based growth across partners and sectors, led by machinery and transport equipment, signals renewed strength in China’s export engine.
Asia’s scale, speed and integration are no longer concentrated in a single core, but spread across multiple, complementary engines.
Even as global ship orders declined in 2025, early-2026 data shows a rapid rebound, with China securing the vast majority of new contracts.
Production growth remains steady, but trade is increasingly concentrated and price-driven, heightening exposure to energy shocks and critical chokepoints.
Global lithium output is expanding in Australia and Chile, but China dominates processing and battery exports, capturing most of the downstream value.
Sustained growth in R&D alongside declining filings suggests tighter standards and a reorientation toward higher-quality innovation.
