The latest data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers shows that between January and February 2026, commercial vehicle exports totalled 178,000 units, representing a year-on-year increase of 22.4 per cent. This marks a continuation of strong export growth right from the start of the year, with Chinese commercial vehicles expanding rapidly into overseas markets.
At the same time, the current global economic and trade landscape remains volatile, with ongoing disruptions in regional geopolitical situations and reduced stability on key international shipping routes. The resulting uncertainty in logistics chains is becoming an invisible barrier to the global expansion of Chinese manufacturing.
On the one hand, market competition forces companies to ‘go global’ or face elimination; on the other, the path to global expansion is fraught with insurmountable obstacles. In this industry environment, the ‘global expansion’ of commercial vehicles is facing critical challenges to achieving high-quality development.
Charting a course and paving the way to ensure a smooth path to global expansion has become the primary concern for many commercial vehicle manufacturers. Against this backdrop, Foton Motor and COSCO Shipping Specialised Carriers have established a joint venture to safeguard this global expansion through a deeply integrated supply chain strategy, opening up a new approach to resolving the industry’s pain points in going global.
Maritime Transport Disruptions: A Major Obstacle on the Path to Global Expansion
In recent years, commercial vehicle exports have experienced rapid growth, marking a critical phase in the industry’s globalisation. Judging by the market strategies of major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), overseas markets are undoubtedly the most significant future growth driver and the core pillar underpinning the industry’s expansion.
Industry observers note that an increasing number of companies have realised that a mere advantage in product value for money is no longer sufficient to sustain long-term global operations; a stable, efficient and controllable supply chain system is the key determinant of whether a vehicle manufacturer can establish a foothold overseas and operate sustainably. As the primary mode of transport for the export of complete commercial vehicles and core components, fluctuations in the maritime shipping sector directly impact corporate operations.
However, the stringent demands placed on shipping capacity and delivery lead times by the large-scale ‘going global’ of commercial vehicles make the traditional model of piecemeal space procurement ill-suited to the task; fluctuating freight rates and unpredictable availability of shipping space have become core constraints on the industry. At present, amidst the turbulence in international relations, the global maritime shipping market is mired in a triple dilemma of high costs, high risks and high uncertainty. Geopolitical conflicts are disrupting shipping routes, tight capacity is causing shipment delays, and fluctuating freight rates are constantly squeezing corporate profit margins.
For commercial vehicle manufacturers undertaking large-scale global expansion, these uncontrollable logistics risks not only affect order delivery but also disrupt the pace of global market deployment, becoming a clear bottleneck hindering the industry’s high-quality global expansion. Dedicated, stable shipping capacity has thus become an urgent requirement across the entire sector.
How Foton Trucks Is Breaking New Ground
As Chinese brands expand into the global market, Foton Trucks has consistently delivered commendable performance. It has ranked first in overseas sales for 15 consecutive years, with cumulative overseas sales reaching 1.25 million units; during the rapid growth phase of the export market from 2021 to 2025, Foton Trucks’ overseas sales grew year on year, achieving an average annual growth rate of 29.7%.
Looking at overseas sales figures for 2025, Foton Trucks’s total overseas sales stood at 165,000 units, representing a year-on-year increase of 7.3%. With sales and service operations spanning over 140 countries and regions worldwide, the company maintains a network of more than 1,200 overseas sales outlets and over 1,500 service centres, having established an initial framework for transitioning from product exports to localised operations.
Behind these impressive overseas expansion results lie the ever-growing demand for maritime transport capacity and the need for supply chain security. Facing the core challenges currently encountered by commercial vehicles expanding overseas, Foton Trucks has moved beyond the traditional model of outsourcing logistics. Instead, it has chosen to form a deep strategic partnership with COSCO Shipping Specialised Carriers through a joint venture, jointly establishing a long-term, stable and controllable maritime transport capacity system. This not only provides solid support for the implementation of Foton Trucks’s ‘comprehensive internationalisation’ strategy but also offers a new direction for exploring supply chain upgrades for the entire industry as it expands overseas.
In terms of the synergistic value of this partnership, COSCO Shipping Specialised Transport possesses a professional global automotive transport operation system and mature international shipping operational experience, with access to stable global route resources and end-to-end logistics service capabilities; Foton Trucks, meanwhile, possesses a substantial volume of export orders and a mature, well-established overseas market network. The complementary strengths and aligned interests of both parties directly address the core pain points of the commercial vehicle export shipping supply chain, elevating their relationship from traditional business cooperation to a long-term, strategically aligned partnership.
Behind these impressive overseas expansion results lie the ever-growing demand for maritime transport capacity and the need for supply chain security. Facing the core challenges currently encountered by commercial vehicles expanding overseas, Foton Trucks has moved beyond the traditional model of outsourcing logistics. Instead, it has chosen to form a deep strategic partnership with COSCO Shipping Specialised Carriers through a joint venture, jointly establishing a long-term, stable and controllable maritime transport capacity system. This not only provides solid support for the implementation of Foton Trucks’s ‘comprehensive internationalisation’ strategy but also offers a new direction for exploring supply chain upgrades for the entire industry as it expands overseas.
In terms of the synergistic value of this partnership, COSCO Shipping Specialised Transport possesses a professional global automotive transport operation system and mature international shipping operational experience, with access to stable global route resources and end-to-end logistics service capabilities; Foton Trucks, meanwhile, possesses a substantial volume of export orders and a mature, well-established overseas market network. The complementary strengths and aligned interests of both parties directly address the core pain points of the commercial vehicle export shipping supply chain, elevating their relationship from traditional business cooperation to a long-term, strategically aligned partnership.
