China's high-end machine tool market reached 18 billion yuan in the first quarter of 2026, up 25% year on year, according to a report by the Equipment Industry Development Centre of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The five-axis linkage segment accounted for 6.5 billion yuan of that total, growing 32%.
Substitution is the main driver
Imports of high-end machine tools fell 12% year on year in the quarter, lifting the import substitution rate to 42%, six percentage points higher than a year earlier. Domestic market share in five-axis machine tools reached 28%, up nine percentage points.
Export data shows the same shift in value terms. Machine tool exports reached US$2.204 billion in January and February, up 15.70% year on year, while export volume fell 22.10% — fewer machines, higher value. High-end machine tool export volume jumped 40% in the first quarter, and the average export price of Chinese five-axis machines rose 71%.
The pattern matters for overseas buyers: as domestic suppliers move up-market, the competitive set for mid and high-end turning and milling equipment in export markets is changing, in both price and specification.
