September 2026 Construction Machinery: 8 Up 4 Down, Aerial Platforms Up 65%
On the evening of October 16, the China Construction Machinery Association released the September 2026 sales data for major products: 8 of 12 categories were up and 4 were down. The number of growing categories kept expanding, the declining ones narrowed further, and the industry recovery is stronger than expected.
Overview: The Full Picture of 8 Up, 4 Down
Year-on-year performance of major product sales in September:
| Category | Sep sales (units) | YoY | Jan-Sep cumulative (units) | Cumulative YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excavators | 22717 | +14.4% | 214274 | +23.1% |
| Loaders | 12419 | +17.9% | 117077 | +24.9% |
| Aerial work platforms | 20493 | +65.1% | 171083 | +29.7% |
| Road rollers | 1951 | +40.2% | 17018 | +25.7% |
| Forklifts | 151794 | +16.4% | 1297510 | +17.3% |
| Tower cranes | 463 | -12.5% | 3555 | -14.0% |
| Truck-mounted cranes | 2068 | -2.96% | 18354 | -3.41% |
| Aerial work vehicles | 324 | -33.1% | 3298 | -13.6% |
Among the 8 growing categories, aerial work platforms, road rollers and motor graders posted the sharpest gains; the 4 declining categories are concentrated in lifting and road paving. The 8-up-4-down pattern shows that demand is not recovering across the board but diverging structurally: earthmoving, road surfacing and aerial work equipment are leading, while tower cranes and truck-mounted cranes are still waiting for the next wave.
Excavators: 22700 Units in a Single Month, Exports Outrun Domestic Sales for the First Time
In September, 22717 excavators of all types were sold, up 14.4% year on year. Of these, 9911 were sold on the domestic market, up 7.16%, while 12806 were exported, up 20.7% - export volume exceeded domestic sales in a single month for the first time.
The Jan-Sep cumulative figures are even more telling: 214274 excavators were sold nationwide in the first nine months, up 23.1%, of which 109744 were exported, up 30.4%. Exports accounted for 51.2% of the total, marking 26 consecutive months of year-on-year growth. In other words, for every two excavators sold in China, one goes overseas.
The domestic recovery is driven by infrastructure project work getting on the ground, while the export surge comes from continued volume growth in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. For more on how mini excavators are played overseas, see our earlier piece: Chinese mini excavators going overseas: field cases.
Loaders: Electrification Carries Half the Weight
In September, 12419 loaders of all types were sold, up 17.9% year on year, with double-digit growth in both domestic sales and exports. The most notable story is electric products: of the 5773 loaders sold domestically in September, 3385 were electric - a penetration rate approaching 60%. Jan-Sep cumulative domestic sales of electric loaders reached 33865 units, accounting for 58% of total domestic loader sales.
Electric loaders can quickly replace diesel units in fixed operating scenarios such as concrete batching plants, ports and steel mills, and the core logic is operating cost: on a two-shift-per-day schedule, a single electric model can save fuel costs on the order of RMB 100000 per year. We previously broke down the design details behind dropping the torque converter from the drivetrain: Why electric loaders ditch the torque converter.
Aerial Work Platforms: The Dark Horse Surging 65% in a Single Month
In September, 20493 aerial work platforms were sold, up 65.1% year on year - the fastest-growing of all 12 major categories. Of these, 9829 were sold domestically, up 84.3%, and 10664 were exported, up 50.6%.
There are three reasons for the breakout. First, domestic construction safety standards are tightening, accelerating the replacement of scaffolding. Second, rental companies are renewing their fleets in bulk, leaving electric boom lifts and scissor lifts in short supply. Third, overseas infrastructure and factory-building demand is running strong. With a Jan-Sep cumulative volume of 171000 units, it has become a category in construction machinery that can no longer be ignored.
The Four Declining Categories: Tower Cranes, Truck-Mounted Cranes, Aerial Work Vehicles and Pavers
In the declining camp, truck-mounted cranes sold 2068 units in September, down just 2.96% year on year - the closest of the four to turning positive. Tower cranes sold 463 units, down 12.5%, still held back by weak real estate starts. Aerial work vehicles sold 324 units, down 33.1%, under the heaviest short-term pressure. Pavers sold 127 units, down 3.79% - small in volume and volatile, but still up 10.1% on a Jan-Sep cumulative basis.
What these four categories share is a closer tie to real estate and municipal works. As urban village redevelopment and affordable housing construction gradually land, tower cranes and truck-mounted cranes are expected to stabilize one after another in the fourth quarter.
Q4 Outlook Under the RMB 1.2 Trillion Target
The industry's 15th Five-Year Plan, previously released by the association, sets a target of industry revenue breaking RMB 1.2 trillion by 2030. Measured against September's data, full-year excavator sales are very likely to reach the 280000-unit mark, the export share will keep climbing, and electric product penetration will continue to rise in loaders, forklifts and other categories.
For buyers, this is a classic "structural market": demand for earthmoving and road-surfacing equipment is booming and lead times are stretching out, so users with procurement plans are advised to place orders early to lock in production capacity. For the latest quotes and lead times on SANY excavators, electric loaders and other equipment, please contact our sales team. EquipNode provides one-stop service covering complete machine sales, spare parts supply and after-sales support.