LITTLETON, Colorado, Oct 9 (Reuters) - China's longstanding dominance of clean energy manufacturing is translating into a behemoth export business, with close to $1 trillion worth of batteries, solar components, electric vehicles and wind power systems shipped globally since 2018.

Below are seven charts showing the types of clean energy technology components Chinese firms are exporting, and the destinations.

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FULLY CHARGED

Of all the clean energy tech manufactured by China, battery systems have emerged as the most lucrative export item.

China has shipped out roughly $330 billion worth of batteries and battery storage systems since 2018, according to data from energy think tank Ember.

That is by far the largest export value tied to China's clean energy products during that period, and accounts for just over a third of the country's annual earnings from clean energy technology shipments.

Solar panels, inverters and rack systems are the next largest export segment in China's clean tech arena, with total exports since 2018 amounting to roughly $242 billion.

Electric vehicles generated around $195 billion in export revenues since 2018, heating and cooling system exports about $105 billion, grid management equipment around $77 billion and wind farm components a further $27 billion.

GLOBAL REACH

Europe has been the top destination for Chinese clean energy tech exports since 2018, with the region snapping up nearly $370 billion of China-made products over that time span.

Other Asian nations account for the next-largest share of exports, with North America a distant third.

Due to trade tensions with the United States and Europe, the pace of China's export growth to Europe and North America has slowed notably from earlier this decade.

However, exports to elsewhere in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania have all hit new highs this year, helping to lift China's total revenues from global clean tech exports to a record.

EBBS AND FLOWS

While the total value of China's clean energy tech exports has steadily expanded since 2018, there have been notable swings in the export volumes of particular products over that period.

From 2018 through 2022, solar parts were the dominant export earner among China's clean energy suite, but since then a drop-off in solar sales as key markets hit saturation point has meant that batteries are now in the top spot.

However, battery sales momentum has also been choppy due to trade spats with Brussels and Washington, D.C., and as battery producers in Europe, the United States and other regions eat into China's market share.

In contrast to the turbulent trajectories of China's solar and battery export earnings, the value of China's exports of EVs has climbed steadily to sequential annual records since 2019.

During the first eight months of 2025, China's EV exports generated roughly $52 billion, which marks a 26% rise from the same months in 2024 and a 1,600% rise from 2019's total, Ember data shows.

Trade tensions and slowing global consumer spending threaten to clip China's EV export growth pace going forward, but aggressive discounting by Chinese EV manufacturers looks set to ensure solid EV export growth for 2025 as a whole.

OTHER KEY CLEAN COMPONENTS

China's exports of power grid technologies and heating and cooling systems have also scaled record highs so far in 2025, and look set for further steep growth in the decades ahead.

Nearly all global electricity systems are in the midst of a years-long campaign of upgrades and expansions as utilities try to keep up with surging electricity demand from homes, transport systems and businesses.

At the same time, climate change is leading to longer and more intense heatwaves that are sparking a surge in demand for space cooling systems in hot and humid areas, especially across South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

China's manufacturing dominance in both the grid tech and space cooling segments means the country is well-placed for further export growth in those areas, even if other countries also compete for market share.

China's world-leading wind turbine manufacturing base has also recorded robust export sales growth so far in 2025, even amid sharp anti-wind policy moves in the United States and a slowdown in wind farm installations in Europe.

Altogether, China's diverse offerings of top-tier equipment across the renewable power generation, energy storage, EV, space cooling and grid management sectors leave the country primed for further robust export growth for years to come.

The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.

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https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/tracking-chinas-clean-energy-export-dominance-seven-charts-2025-10-09/