China's second-hand commercial vehicles going Global

China's second-hand commercial vehicles going Global: Breaking the Global Deadlock and Industrial Restructuring in the Trillion-yuan Market.

When the domestic commercial vehicle ownership exceeded the 30 million mark, the dual impetus of the iteration of emission standards and the "trade-in for new" policy is pushing China to the historical juncture of being the world's largest exporter of used commercial vehicles. In 2024, China's used car exports reached 436,000 units, with a year-on-year growth rate of 46.5%, setting a new record. Among them, the "buying frenzy" of commercial vehicles in the markets of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the "Belt and Road Initiative" is outlining a trillion-yuan growth curve from "vehicle going global" to "industry going global".

1. Policy Engine and Market Potential: The Underlying Logic of a Million Vehicle Exports

The renewal of the domestic stock of trucks with emission standards of National IV and below, along with the policy dividend of the 2025 new policy extending the subsidy scope to such models, is forming an export vehicle source pool of over one million units. Since the launch of the used car export pilot program in 2019, the implementation of the WM/T9-2022 standard and the joint promotion of the national pilot program by five departments have removed all the bottlenecks in the entire chain from vehicle source integration to customs clearance. Under the catalysis of policies, the qualifications of export enterprises have spread from pilot cities to the whole country. Among the 9.21 billion US dollars of export value in 2024, the incremental contribution of commercial vehicles in sub-sectors such as engineering transportation and logistics distribution is particularly significant.

This growth is no accident: the dynamic balance between the annual addition and scrapping of commercial vehicles, coupled with the fact that the export of used cars is still in the period of increasing penetration rate, the industry predicts that an average annual export scale of over one million units will form in the next 3 to 5 years. The resonance of the policy "combination punch" and the market "supply pool" is ushering in a "new era of navigation" for China's commercial vehicles.

2. Global Shopping Map: The Demand Code of the Markets in Asia, Africa and Latin America

In Kenya's mining roads, Indonesia's infrastructure construction sites, and Russia's resource transportation lines, Chinese second-hand commercial vehicles are breaking through market barriers with their "high cost performance and adaptability".The African market has a strong demand for dump trucks and tractors that are less than 8 years old. Under the complex road conditions in the local area, the robustness and durability of Chinese vehicles have become the core competitiveness. In Southeast Asia, differentiated demands are presented. The light truck and bus markets in Vietnam and the Philippines, due to the upgrading of logistics demands and the pilot of new energy policies, offer potential Windows for second-hand new energy vehicles. Relying on the advantages of land transportation, the countries in Central Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States have achieved stable procurement volumes in the field of heavy engineering trucks.

3.Breaking Down the Trillion-yuan Value Chain: From Differential Trade to Ecosystem Construction

The "trillion-yuan business" of second-hand commercial vehicle exports essentially represents the value reconstruction of the automotive circulation industry. The industrial chain covers four core links: vehicle source integration (fleet obsolete vehicles, individual loose vehicles), professional inspection (meeting the technical standards of the exporting country), maintenance and preparation (adapting to specific working conditions), and cross-border services (customs declaration and logistics + overseas after-sales service).

In addition to the price difference of vehicles, after-market services such as inspection and certification, maintenance value-added, and parts supply are becoming new growth poles. For instance, some enterprises have already established localized maintenance networks in Africa and are generating continuous profits through the parts supply chain.

However, risks and opportunities coexist: policy fluctuations in target countries (such as Indonesia's sudden increase in the age limit for imported vehicles), weak after-sales systems (commercial vehicles, as production materials, have strict requirements for service timeliness), challenges to vehicle condition transparency (it is necessary to strictly prevent the export of illegal vehicles from damaging the reputation of "Made in China"), and high international logistics costs, among other issues, are testing the global operation capabilities of enterprises.

1. Feedback Effect: Activating the Residual Value Revolution in the Domestic Market.

The smoothness of export channels is rewriting the residual value logic of domestic commercial vehicles. When vehicles of National IV and National V standards achieve value release through export, the domestic used car market avoids the price stampede caused by concentrated elimination, and the cost pressure on car owners to replace their new cars is reduced, forming a positive cycle of "used car export - new car consumption - technological upgrade". For original equipment manufacturers (Oems), a higher residual value rate of used cars enhances the competitiveness of new vehicles. For logistics enterprises, compliance elimination and efficient replacement are achieved simultaneously. The optimization of this industrial ecosystem has further driven the professional upgrading of supporting service industries such as assessment, finance, and cross-border logistics.

2. The way to break the deadlock: The Advancement from "Porter" to "Navigator"

Standing at the turning point of 2025, extensive trade is no longer sustainable. Leading enterprises are exploring specialized paths: conducting in-depth research on target market regulations (such as differences in emission limits among African countries), establishing a full-process quality control system (standardized operations from testing to preparation), and building cross-border service networks (overseas spare parts centers + technical training). A person in charge of an export enterprise pointed out: "When Japanese used cars occupy the high-end market with the 'certified vehicle' system, Chinese commercial vehicles need to establish a differentiated advantage by 'adapting to working conditions + implementing services'.

The ultimate competition on this new voyage from "selling products" to "exporting industrial standards" lies in whether the cost control capabilities, technical adaptability and service response capabilities of China's commercial vehicle industry chain can be transformed into brand recognition in the global market. As observed by Truck E-Family: Only professional operation with "quality as the anchor and service as the sail" can reach the shore of sustainable development in the trillion-yuan blue ocean. China's second-hand commercial vehicles going Global: Breaking the Global Deadlock and Industrial Restructuring in the Trillion-yuan Market.

When the domestic commercial vehicle ownership exceeded the 30 million mark, the dual impetus of the iteration of emission standards and the "trade-in for new" policy is pushing China to the historical juncture of being the world's largest exporter of used commercial vehicles. In 2024, China's used car exports reached 436,000 units, with a year-on-year growth rate of 46.5%, setting a new record. Among them, the "buying frenzy" of commercial vehicles in the markets of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the "Belt and Road Initiative" is outlining a trillion-yuan growth curve from "vehicle going global" to "industry going global".

The ultimate competition on this new voyage from "selling products" to "exporting industrial standards" lies in whether the cost control capabilities, technical adaptability and service response capabilities of China's commercial vehicle industry chain can be transformed into brand recognition in the global market. As observed by Truck E-Family: Only professional operation with "quality as the anchor and service as the sail" can reach the shore of sustainable development in the trillion-yuan blue ocean..