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Maguire charts China's dominance of clean energy exports in seven charts

China's dominance in clean energy manufacturing has translated into a massive export business. Since 2018, close to $1 trillion of batteries, solar panels, electric vehicles, and wind power systems have been shipped worldwide.

The following seven charts show the clean energy components that Chinese companies export and their destinations.

FULLY CHARGED

Battery systems are the most profitable export product of all the clean tech made in China.

According to Ember, a think tank for energy, China has exported batteries and battery systems worth $330 billion since 2018.

This is the highest export value for China's clean-energy products in that time period. It accounts for just under a third the annual earnings of the country from clean-energy technology shipments.

The next-largest export segment for China's clean technology sector is solar panels, inverters, and rack systems, with total exports of around $242 billion since 2018.

Since 2018, electric vehicles have generated export revenues of around $195 billion. Heating and cooling systems exported about $105 billion. Grid management equipment exports were around $77 billion. And wind farm components another $27 billion.

GLOBAL REACH

Since 2018, Europe has been the number one destination for Chinese clean tech exports. The region has purchased nearly $370 billion worth of China-made goods in that time period.

The next largest exporter is another Asian nation, followed by North America.

China's exports to Europe and North America have slowed down significantly compared to earlier in this decade due to the trade tensions between the United States and Europe.

Exports to other parts of Asia, the Middle East and Africa, as well as Oceania, have also reached new heights in this year. This has helped to raise China's global clean technology export revenues to a record.

EBBS AND FLOWS

The export volume of certain products has fluctuated significantly over the past few years, despite the fact that the total value of China’s clean tech exports have steadily increased since 2018. Solar parts were China's top exporter from 2018 to 2022. However, since then, as solar sales have dropped due to saturation in key markets, batteries have taken the lead.

Battery sales have also been affected by trade disputes with Washington, D.C. and Brussels, as well as the fact that battery producers from Europe, America and other regions are eating into China's share of the market.

Since 2019, China's EV exports have steadily risen to new records.

Ember data indicates that during the first eight month of 2025 China's EV exported generated approximately $52 billion. This represents a 26 percent increase from the same period in 2024, and a 1,600% increase from the total for 2019.

China's EV growth rate is likely to be slowed by trade tensions and a slowing of global consumer spending, but aggressive discounts from Chinese EV manufacturers are expected to guarantee EV growth in 2025.

Other KEY CLEAN Components

China's exports in power grid technology and heating and cooling system have also reached record highs in 2025 and are expected to continue growing in the years ahead.

As utilities struggle to meet the increasing demand for electricity from households, businesses and transport systems, they are undergoing a multi-year campaign of upgrades and extensions.

Climate change leads to more intense and longer heatwaves, which in turn lead to a rise in the demand for cooling systems, particularly in humid and hot areas. This is especially true in South and Southeast Asia as well as the Middle East and Africa.

China's dominance of manufacturing in the grid technology and space cooling segments will allow it to continue growing its exports in these areas even if there are other countries competing for market share.

China, the world's leading wind turbine manufacturer, has seen its export sales grow by a robust margin in 2025 despite sharp policy changes in the United States against wind energy and a slowdown of wind farm installations across Europe.

China is well-positioned to continue its robust growth in exports for many years.

These are the opinions of the columnist, an author for.

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(source: Reuters)