A crowded domestic market, years of innovation, uncertain global headwinds and a market which is open to new entrants, has seen what is likely to be a record number of Chinese equipment manufacturers attend CeMAT Australia in Sydney last week.

And they weren’t looking for clients, with many of the OEMs Forkliftaction spoke with clearly pointing out they were looking for dealers and partners who could help them enter - or expand their footprint - in the Australian and Asia Pacific markets.

While this had also been the case in 2023, the volume of Chinese manufacturers at the event, according to observations of those who attend annually, far exceeded that of other years (final figures from CeMAT organisers are not available until next week).

It was impossible to miss the scale of some of the exhibits at the event from OEMs which have made their mark in China and are now looking at Australia.

Barriers to entry no more

One representative of a major company, who asked not to be named, echoed the sentiments of many who said while the large Chinese contingent was evident, their competitors were not overly concerned because of the current barriers they faced to entering the Australian market.

While agreeing lower cost Chinese machinery is “having some impact on the Australian market”, he believes many of the Chinese OEMs will drop off in Australia “until it can provide better reliability and local after sales service and support”.

However, this barrier to the market is something Chinese producers are well aware of and are in the process of addressing, as they seek to establish local partnerships to better respond to customer needs.

YK Chew, South East Asia Oceania VP with Libiao, says he has been observing the trend of the Chinese players at the event “in terms of scale and investment”.

“This year, most of these players brought their equipment to the show, because people believe this market is ready,” Chew said.

“Because China is such a big market, we have had the opportunity to learn and improve our products as they are being used in China. We have also been learning from other players in other markets.

“Japan exported its knowledge 30 years ago; it’s time for China to come into other countries and share what they have learned. We have good products now and we want to share them.”

Chew says Libiao, which was founded in 2016, now has 600 projects with 60,000 units deployed globally, including some in Australia and New Zealand.

“What we are looking for is developing partnerships in Australia and strategic growth for the business.

“We feel every market is a good market for us, not just Australia.”

Among those looking to establish local partnerships at the event was Anhui-headquartered MiMA Forklifts, which produces only electric forklifts and has been operating for more than 30 years.

“We believe we have an opportunity to expand into Australia,” MiMA’s vice general manager for exports, Roger Qiu explains. “Australia is a good market and Australian customers are starting to accept Chinese brands.

“We are very focused on Australia especially because there is a demand for our products. Electric is the future.”

Yi-Lift was also on the lookout for partners with sales manager Jack Jiang saying this was the sole reason for their attendance at the event.

“In China there are so many manufacturers competing against each other, so they are looking for opportunities overseas,” Jiang continues.

“They can sell cheaper products in China but overseas clients want better product and we give them that.”

Miya Gong, global marketing director with Seer Robotics says there is also a strong movement of Chinese robotics companies seeking a foothold in Australia.

“The competition in China is extremely intense, so many are expanding overseas to capture a share of the global robotics market,” Gong says.

“We see automation shows like CeMAT as more than just a branding opportunity. Of course, it’s great for brand exposure and connecting with professional visitors—but equally important, we see potential partnerships here.”

New players target materials handling sector 

It wasn’t just the familiar Chinese materials handling equipment brands at CeMAT Australia this year.

Among the new names was XCMG, China’s largest mining and construction equipment manufacturer and the world’s fourth largest OEM, which has already established a presence in Australia with its mining equipment.

XCMG enjoys a strong foothold in China and South East Asia for a larger product range, including its materials handling fleet which includes a range of 50 forklifts.

Now it is targeting Australia’s materials handling sector with its range of electric counterbalance forklifts, telescopic handlers, reach trucks and stacker trucks.

XCMG product manager Greg Meyer told Forkliftaction the company’s vision for Australia is to “play long”, introducing only its electric equipment into this market as we “fully embody renewable energy”.

“We may be a new name in materials handling in Australia, but we have been around for a very long time and we are long player which has helped us to reach huge heights globally,” Meyer continues.

Also making a splash at CeMAT Australia was JAC Forklift with its sales manager, Robin Han, telling Forkliftaction that “Australia is a big market” and they want to be in it.

JAC exports to 140 countries with Russia as its largest export destination. Its range includes lithium-ion and diesel forklifts, pallet trucks and stackers.

“Australians want to do more business with China,” Han says. “There is an opportunity there to develop the Australian market so we are going to do that.”

Local presence gives competitive edge

One Chinese OEM which has been developing the Australian market since 2001 is Hangcha, which also had a large presence at CeMAT Australia.

Hangcha Australia’s general manager, Leon Luo, tells Forkliftaction it continues to increase sales in Australia, recording a 7% year-on-year increase in the first half of 2025.

It has now sold more than 10,000 units in Australia and keeps a stock of between 400 and 500 on hand in the country.

“Last year was hard because the bank interest rates were really high, but we have already seen a strong increase since the two interest rate drops and this has had an impact on the confidence of buyers,” Luo adds.

“We are confident about this year and about our future in Australia.”

Hangcha Australia has a network of 15 dealers in Australia across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

“There are some Chinese forklift manufacturers here [at CeMAT] who have the intention to come here but have not set up yet,” Luo continues, referencing the likes of XCMG. 

“Chinese manufacturing is more accepted by Australian customers and it’s a good product.

“Now the competition is very hard and the profit is not as high as before, so they are more concentrated on price and the local service and faster feedback is very important.

“We have more and more buyers who are more interested in what we can offer in after sales service and the speed we can deliver that.

“Chinese companies which set up local companies will be able to act faster and that is attractive to customers. When people buy a forklift, they want it straight away and we can grab that opportunity because we are here.”

And judging by the number of Chinese OEMs at CeMAT, the number of Chinese forklift manufacturers establishing bases in Australia, or partnerships which do this work for them, will only continue to grow in coming years.

We will have more coverage of CeMAT Australia in next week’s Forkliftaction.