From Factory Floor to Global Grid: China's Electrotech Dominance

There's a term you'll be hearing more: electrotech. Solar panels, EV batteries, power transformers, heat pumps, inverters. The physical hardware of electrification and right now, China makes most of it.

China has repositioned its export base around what Beijing calls the "new three": electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar panels. The results are staggering by almost any measure.

China's EV exports jumped 26% in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, while battery exports rose 23%. Solar panel exports hit 46 gigawatts in August 2025 alone, more than Australia's entire installed solar capacity.

The value of China's electronics exports grew from $5 billion in 1990 to nearly $1 trillion last year. By 2021, its electronics exports exceeded those of the other five leading exporters combined.

The trade war hasn't stopped it

Despite being the single largest importer of Chinese electrotech, the US has thrown considerable firepower trying to slowdown the country’s export machine. The current average US tariff rate on imports from China stands at ~33%, with many of the electric technologies clearing 145%. The hope is to reroute critical technology supply chains away from China and towards allies or even to promote domestic supplies.

While exports to the US dropped nearly 18% in the first ten months of 2025 versus the same period in 2024, exports to the EU were up more than 7%, to ASEAN countries up 14%, and to Africa up 26%. China's goods trade surplus climbed past the $1 trillion mark for the first time, with exports to Asia, Mexico, Europe and the Middle East expanding even as US-bound shipments fell sharply.

What’s driving electrotech exports now?

After US and Israeli airstrikes against Iran in late February, Iran effectively barricaded the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off roughly one-fifth of global oil and natural gas supply.

As a result, China's solar exports hit a record 68 gigawatts in March, double the previous month. Fifty countries set all-time records for Chinese solar imports. Battery exports rose 44% month-over-month to reach $10 billion. In total, Chinese exports of solar, batteries and EVs rose 70% year-over-year in March.

This is aligned with data from Ember, which shows Chinese electrotech exports continue to accelerate in 2026.