Container Houses Available for Export

Container houses can be exported and have become an important category of China's architectural exports.

I. Export Scale and Markets

In recent years, the export scale of container houses in China has continued to grow. According to data from Shenzhen Customs, in the first four months of 2026, the export value of modular buildings by enterprises across the country through Shenzhen ports reached 1.68 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19.6%, with exports to more than 150 countries and regions. According to public information from the General Administration of Customs, in the first half of 2026, the total export value of prefabricated buildings under HS code 9406 in China was 2.79 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 45%. Among them, steel-structured modular houses were the main export category, and overseas market demand maintained relatively rapid growth.

II. Characteristics of Exported Products

Most of the exported container houses are modular buildings, adopting a factory-prefabricated and on-site assembled construction model. This model breaks down the house into standardized modules, with precise assembly of steel structures, walls, pipelines, and bathrooms completed in the factory. The modules are then shipped to the destination by container and quickly assembled on-site like building blocks. Its core advantages include:

• Short construction period: More than 60% shorter than traditional construction methods. For example, the modular elderly care apartment purchased by a British merchant took only two weeks from shipment to completion of hoisting and construction.
• Controllable costs: Significant savings in labor and materials. Only about 45 on-site personnel are required, steel consumption is only 3%-5%, and the use of basic floor materials is reduced by 60%-70%.
• Flexibility and portability: They can be disassembled and relocated, meeting cross-border compliance requirements and adapting to the recycling needs of scenarios such as engineering camps, cultural tourism, and emergency response.

III. Export Enterprises and Technologies

Domestic leading enterprises such as Suzhou Zhongnan Steel Structure Co., Ltd. and CIMC Modular Building Investment Co., Ltd. have performed outstandingly in the field of container house exports. Their products have achieved high wind and earthquake resistance ratings (such as wind resistance of level 12 and earthquake resistance of level 8), low transportation costs (such as the folded volume being only one-fifth of the expanded state), and efficient expansion (such as a single person being able to complete expansion and fixation in 5 minutes) through technologies such as all-steel structural frames and hydraulic automatic expansion structures, providing high-quality and efficient architectural solutions for the global market.