On October 13, the launch event for the 'China Motorcycle Industry Development Report' was held in Beijing. At a key moment marking the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the start of planning for the 15th, this annual report-focusing on industry operations, market changes, technological updates, and global competition-paints a development path for China's motorcycle industry, moving from expanding scale to improving quality, and from exporting products to running a global business.
The report shows that from January to August 2026, China produced 16.4935 million motorcycles and sold 16.3937 million, up 13.72% and 13.23% year-on-year, respectively; complete vehicle exports reached 10.2941 million units, up 17.77%, with export revenue at $7.131 billion, up 23.04%. Despite a complex internal and external environment and overall pressure on manufacturing, the industry has achieved strong production and sales, with both export volume and value rising, showing strong resilience.
But behind the growth, the industry's structural problems of 'rising revenue without rising profits, increasing production without increasing value' remain prominent. Data shows that from January to July, motorcycle manufacturers' operating income rose 11.57% year-on-year, while total profits fell 4.41%, and industrial added value dropped 6.10%. Facing challenges like overseas trade barriers, stricter compliance requirements, and intensifying international competition, figuring out how to move beyond low-price competition and fill gaps in the industry chain has become a key task for the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
'The release of the report is not the end, but a new beginning,' said Liu Xin, vice president of the China Motorcycle Chamber of Commerce, in a discussion with media including China Business Journal. He added that the motorcycle industry can no longer be evaluated just by sales and production capacity. The focus of development should truly shift toward improving quality and efficiency, accelerating the creation of new competitive advantages supported by technology, brands, systems, and global operations.