After decades of development, China has become the world’s largest producer and exporter of hardware products.
However, in today’s complex and ever-changing international situation, how to sail far in the international market and embark on a new journey of internationalization has become an issue of the times that the entire industry must deal with.
At the first China Hardware Brands Overseas Conference held in Shanghai on October 10, Zhang Dongli, chairman of the China Hardware Products Association, pointed out that the current annual export volume of the hardware products industry exceeds 160 billion US dollars.
However, the industry urgently needs to realize transformation and upgrading, moving from the “product export 1.0 era” to the “brand overseas 2.0 era”.
This requires comprehensive efforts to enhance the international competitiveness of Chinese hardware brands through technological innovation, brand building and sustainable development.
Hong Yong, an expert from the Ministry of Commerce Research Institute, analyzed that China’s hardware exports have maintained steady growth, with exports reaching US$163.63 billion in 2024.
Among them, the field of tool hardware has seen particularly significant growth, and the competitiveness of international brands has also initially emerged.
However, the industry still faces some challenges, such as weak brand power, insufficient R&D investment, and the continuous strengthening of international green and technical barriers (such as EU CE certification).
In order to promote China’s leap from a hardware “manufacturing power” to a hardware “brand power”, it is necessary to strengthen brand building, increase investment in research and development, and improve the standard certification system.
Nie Linhai, former deputy director of the Department of E-Commerce and Information Technology of the Ministry of Commerce, suggested that the hardware industry should “gather together to go overseas” and achieve coordinated operations in the form of industrial clusters.
At the same time, relying on innovation-driven efforts to promote the comprehensive upgrade of hardware product innovation and business model innovation.
It also focuses on digital empowerment and uses new technologies to optimize the global supply chain layout of the hardware industry.
Professor Zhao Haoxing, Dean of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Research Institute at Zhejiang Gongshang University, proposed the concept of “new overseas expansion” and called on companies to uphold long-termism and altruism and follow the development trajectory of ESG.
He said that 2025-2030 is the golden period for going overseas in Africa, and companies can rely on six major models, including industrial bases, entrepreneurial parks, and local marketing, to build a high-quality development pattern.
Kenneth Rabale, Ambassador of Lesotho to China, said that Chinese hardware products are best-selling and popular in Africa. He looks forward to using the cooperation platform established by this conference to deepen economic and trade cooperation in the hardware field between Africa and China to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.
He Liehui, Chairman of Touchue Group, shared with him more than 20 years of investment experience in Africa that high-quality overseas investment is not only the output of products, but also the output of capabilities and value.
Enterprises need to do “three depths”: deeply understand the local market demand and avoid simply copying the Chinese model; deeply integrate into the local social culture and achieve true localization by hiring local employees and participating in community construction; deeply participate in the construction of the local industrial chain, combine China’s advantageous production capacity with Africa’s development needs, and achieve sustainable win-win results.
This conference is hosted by China Hardware Products Association and hosted by China-Africa Bridge, China-Africa Economic and Trade Research Institute of Zhejiang Gongshang University, and Yuyao Hardware Products Association. It brings together domestic and foreign industry organizations, think tank experts, brand companies, international purchasers and other resources to build a hub for exchanges and cooperation.
Buyers from more than 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan, and heads of key Chinese hardware companies gathered together to explore new ways for hardware brands to go overseas.
During the event, the global procurement and supply resource precise matching meeting attracted the participation of more than 150 international buyers, and representatives from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other companies issued procurement requirements.
In addition, the conference also issued the “Declaration of Action for Chinese Hardware Brands to Go Abroad with High Quality” and held the launching ceremony of the African Alliance for Chinese Hardware Brands to Go Abroad.
