With the continuous development of the global industrial and logistics industry, the market demand for forklift trucks, as an important tool for material handling, continues to grow. In recent years, the significant improvement in the safety performance of China’s forklift industry has not only enhanced the competitiveness of domestic enterprises, but also fuelled strong growth in the export market.
According to the latest data, in September 2024, China’s forklift sales reached 106,000 units, up 6.06 per cent year-on-year. Among them, the sales volume in the domestic market was 62,800 units, a year-on-year decrease of 5.32 per cent, while the export volume reached 43,200 units, a year-on-year increase of 28.5 per cent, showing the strong demand for Chinese forklift products in the international market. This change reflects the different responses of domestic and foreign markets to the safety performance of forklift trucks, as well as the remarkable progress made by Chinese enterprises in this regard.
Experts in the forklift industry pointed out that with the intensification of competition in the international market, customers have put forward higher requirements for the safety performance of forklifts. Domestic enterprises have successfully developed forklift products in line with international standards by increasing investment in R&D and upgrading the technological content of their products. These products not only reach the international advanced level in terms of safety, but also optimise the operation efficiency and comfort to meet the diversified needs of overseas customers.
Take Hangzhou Fork Group as an example, the company has launched a series of electric forklift products with high safety performance through the introduction of advanced technology and independent innovation. These products are widely recognised in the markets of Europe, America and other developed countries, and have become a new highlight of China’s forklift exports. Hangzhou Fork Group has also actively laid out its overseas markets, and further enhanced the international competitiveness of its products by setting up overseas subsidiaries and establishing localised sales networks.
Besides Hang Fork Group, Anhui Heli and other domestic forklift manufacturers have also made remarkable achievements in the international market. They continue to enhance the international influence of their brands by participating in international exhibitions and strengthening brand promotion. At the same time, these enterprises also pay attention to the construction of after-sales service system to ensure that overseas customers can obtain professional technical support and service guarantee in time.
The improvement of forklift safety performance is not only reflected in the product itself, but also includes the technical progress and standard improvement of the whole industry. In recent years, China’s forklift industry has achieved remarkable results in standardisation and normalisation, which provides a strong guarantee for the safety performance of forklift products. At the same time, government departments have also strengthened the supervision of the forklift industry, promoting enterprises to continuously improve product quality and safety level.
Looking ahead, with the recovery of the global economy and the gradual recovery of international trade, China’s forklift export market is expected to continue to maintain a strong growth trend. In order to seize this opportunity, domestic forklift enterprises should continue to strengthen technological innovation and product research and development efforts, and constantly improve product safety performance and international competitiveness. At the same time, they should also actively expand overseas market channels and partnerships to jointly promote China’s forklift industry to a broader international stage.
