China's loader industry has made tremendous strides over the course of several decades. A particularly praiseworthy achievement-and a source of national pride-is that annual production and sales of loaders have surpassed 160,000 units; even in today's Chinese market, crowded with international brands, domestic loader brands continue to command the vast majority of market share.
In 1978, China's annual loader production stood at just 1,315 units, with a cumulative total of only 9,454 units; by 2007, however, sales exceeded 160,000 units. Exports alone topped 10,000 units-a figure exceeding the entire cumulative production volume prior to the Reform and Opening-up era. Similarly, annual bulldozer production in 1978 was merely 1,909 units, with a cumulative total of 11,923 units. Imports were significant at the time, reaching a cumulative total of 3,333 units by 1980; notably, by the late 1980s, imports accounted for nearly 30% of the market. By 2007, bulldozer sales exceeded 7,390 units; domestic brands not only captured the lion's share of the home market but also achieved substantial export volumes-with 2,065 units exported in 2007 alone, a figure surpassing the nation's total bulldozer production in 1978.
