I. Export Scale and Growth Trend
Full year 2025: The export value of cutting tools reached 26.034 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.48%, with a significant slowdown in growth (9.8% in 2024).
First three quarters of 2025: The export value stood at 20.001 billion yuan, up 5.34% year-on-year, indicating a further slowdown in growth in the second half of the year.
2026 forecast: The industry expects the annual cutting tool market size to reach 57.66 billion yuan, with export volume likely to exceed 29 billion yuan.
II. Major Export Varieties and Structure
Major export categories and their values in 2025 (Unit: billion yuan)
Drills: 9.193 (accounting for approximately 35.3%)
Circular saw blades: 4.41
Interchangeable tools: 2.501
Inserts: 2.967 (including 2.163 billion yuan for coated inserts and 0.804 billion yuan for uncoated inserts)
Milling cutters: 2.60
Tapping tools: 1.047
Superhard hole machining tools: 0.759 (up 100.57% year-on-year, with outstanding performance)
Growth Highlights
Exports of superhard material cutting tools (such as boring/reaming tools) surged, reflecting breakthroughs in high-end product development.
Exports of uncoated inserts fell slightly (-2.58%), while exports of coated inserts declined (-3.05%), indicating intensified competition in low-to-mid-end products.
III. Export Market Distribution
Major destinations include:
Russia, India, Germany, South Korea, the United States, Turkey, and Vietnam
Steady growth in demand from emerging markets (e.g., Mexico, Southeast Asia)
IV. Characteristics of Trade Structure
Export value was 2.95 times the import value in 2025, confirming China's status as a major global manufacturer and exporter of cutting tools.
However, import unit prices are much higher than export prices:
The average import price of coated inserts is about 3.31 times the export price.
The average import price of taps is 8.1 times the export price.
High-end inserts still rely on imports: Japan accounts for 74.22% of uncoated insert imports, while Germany and South Korea together account for over 14%.
