The foreign trade of building materials is currently driven by essential demand

一.The latest official data for 2026: Understanding the market

1.All data is sourced from the latest statistics released by the Building Materials Federation and Customs
2.Exports of ceramic building materials saw a 32.7% year-on-year increase in volume and a 29.6% rise in value, marking a strong rebound at the start of the year
3.Countries along the Belt and Road route account for 39% of China's building materials exports, forming a long-term stable foundation
Orders for building materials from Russia have surged by 12.7% year-on-year, whilst Chinese enterprises have dominated exhibitions in Eastern Europe, accounting for half of all exhibitors.
4.With the global infrastructure sector recovering, demand for green and energy-efficient building materials has skyrocketed; profit margins on high-end eco-friendly products are significantly higher than those on standard goods.

二.Four Key Gold Markets: Prioritise In-Depth Exploration
1. Russia & Eastern Europe
With Western brands withdrawing, there is a massive market gap. Doors, windows, bathroom fittings, ceramics, hardware and stone products are all performing well, and trade shows are in full swing.
The Chinese supply chain offers unbeatable value for money compared to local alternatives, resulting in extremely high repeat purchase rates
2. Middle East: Saudi Arabia, UAE
Saudi Arabia's 2030 infrastructure initiative continues to be implemented, driving strong year-on-year growth in the construction market.
Preference is for high-end, eco-friendly building materials with a comprehensive range of specifications.
Note: New anti-dumping policies for ceramics have been introduced locally; compliance with customs regulations and differentiated products are essential for sustainable business.
3. Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia
Rapid urbanisation drives substantial demand for essential goods, with stable cash flow, proximity and low logistics costs.
The preferred high-volume market for small and medium-sized factories, offering low entry barriers and quick order fulfilment.
4. Multiple African Countries
Cement boards and basic building materials face long-term supply shortages. Benefiting from a demographic dividend, these products are affordable, durable and offer substantial profit margins. Leading enterprises are flocking to the region, with sustained high growth expected over the next three years.

三.The landscape for exporting building materials has changed
1. Cutting-throat price wars are a sure-fire path to failure; green building materials are the way forward
National policy is clear: the target is to achieve 300 billion yuan in revenue from green building materials by 2026 Europe, the US and the Middle East all enforce strict environmental standards; energy-efficient, waterproof and low-carbon building materials command higher premiums and face lower market barriers
2. Stop relying solely on one-off orders
Overseas project contracts, long-term supply agreements and complete building material packages are far more stable than scattered small orders and yield double the profit
3. Double boost from favourable exchange rates and Belt and Road dividends When it comes to quality, lead times and production capacity, our domestic building materials have no global rivals As long as we avoid trade barriers and do not blindly undercut prices, we need not worry about a lack of customers

四.Avoid these three pitfalls
Refrain from blindly following the herd and bidding on low-price tenders, which result in slim margins, high after-sales costs and a high risk of anti-dumping investigations 

Failing to check local certifications, standards and tariffs can lead to goods being detained upon arrival at the port, resulting in a total loss of investment
Sticking solely to established markets means missing out on the benefits of international trade