China's Robot Exports Surge 18.6% in H1 as Global Demand for Industrial, Medical Machines Grows

China's robot exports expanded in the first half of the year as the country's manufacturers shipped more industrial, medical and consumer machines to overseas markets, Customs officials said today.

The figures were released at a State Council Information Office briefing on China's foreign trade this year. Officials said the robot industry has grown rapidly in recent years, with Chinese-made products increasingly used in factories, hospitals and homes around the world.

Industrial robots remained a major export category. China became a net exporter of industrial robots in 2025, when exports exceeded imports for the first time. In the first half of this year, industrial robot exports reached 6.29 billion yuan (US$877 million), up 18.6 percent from a year earlier, and were sold to 141 countries and regions.

Surgical robots also gained ground in international markets, reflecting broader demand for intelligent medical equipment made in China. Exports of surgical robots totaled 480 million yuan in the first half, up 3.3 times year on year. Their export destinations rose to 49 markets from 23 in the same period last year.

Cleaning robots and intelligent bionic robots, including humanoid robots, robot dogs and robotic fish and birds, are also moving faster into overseas markets. The two categories recorded combined exports of 18.09 billion yuan in the first half.

Officials said intelligent bionic robots and cleaning robots were added this year as separate customs tariff categories, giving them their own international trade classification codes. The change allows more precise statistics and a clearer view of industry trends.

Customs authorities said they would continue improving regulatory services and trade facilitation for the sector as China seeks to raise the technology content of its foreign trade.