China’s clean technology exports reached a record high of $20 billion in August 2025, according to data from Ember’s China Cleantech Exports Data Explorer.
The milestone reflects China’s dominance as the world’s largest exporter of electrotechnologies, particularly electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries, amid accelerating global demand for low-carbon technologies.
The sharp rise in exports was primarily fueled by EV shipments, which increased 26 percent in January–August 2025 compared with the same period last year. Battery exports followed closely with 23 percent growth, reflecting the global shift toward electrification and energy storage solutions.
Although exports of other clean technologies such as grid (+22 percent), wind (+16 percent), and heating and cooling systems (+4 percent) rose modestly, these gains were offset by a 19 percent decline in solar PV exports. Despite the drop, EVs and batteries have more than doubled the export value of solar PV products.
The record value of cleantech exports was achieved even as technology prices have fallen sharply, highlighting robust global demand. Over the past decade, solar panel prices have dropped by over 80 percent, spurring wider adoption.
In August 2025 alone, China exported 46 GW of solar PV capacity — greater than Australia’s total installed capacity — setting a new record in gigawatt terms. However, the value of solar PV exports was still 47 percent lower than the March 2023 peak due to continued price declines.
As clean technology prices continue to fall, China is rapidly expanding its reach into new and emerging markets. More than half of the growth in EV exports (51 percent) this year came from outside the OECD. Exports to the ASEAN region surged 75 percent between January and August 2025, with Indonesia emerging as a major growth market. The country became the 9th largest global EV importer, with battery electric vehicles accounting for 14 percent of new car sales in August 2025, up from 9 percent a year earlier.
Africa recorded the fastest growth, with Chinese EV exports almost tripling (+287 percent) compared to the same period in 2024. Morocco led in absolute growth, while Nigeria’s imports grew six-fold. The Middle East and Latin America and the Caribbean also posted gains of 72 percent and 11 percent, respectively.
Within China, the domestic transition to clean technologies is accelerating even faster. EVs accounted for 52 percent of new car sales in August 2025, and the country installed more than twice as many solar panels as the rest of the world combined in the first half of the year.
According to Euan Graham, analyst at Ember, “Demand for clean technologies continues to skyrocket as more and more countries seek their benefits, from low-cost power to cheaper vehicles. China’s electrotech is becoming the basis of the new energy system, with continued cost reductions driving faster growth than ever, especially in emerging economies.”
China’s continued policy commitment and investment in clean electrified technologies are not only transforming its domestic energy system but also reshaping global supply chains, positioning the nation as a cornerstone of the world’s clean energy transition.
Baburajan Kizhakedath