Export of Prefabricated Houses

The export of domestically produced prefabricated houses is showing a rapid growth trend, with a wide market distribution and continuously improving overseas recognition.

Export Scale and Growth

In recent years, the export scale of domestically produced 'prefabricated houses' has expanded significantly. From 2015 to 2025, China's prefabricated building exports nearly tripled over a decade, with a remarkable 45% growth rate in the first quarter of 2026. In the first seven months of this year, the Shatian Customs under the Huangpu Customs District supervised the export of 23 batches of modular houses, with a total value of 548 million yuan, marking a 7.3-fold increase year-on-year. In the first four months of this year, enterprises across the country exported movable houses worth 1.68 billion yuan through Shenzhen ports, a 19.6% increase year-on-year, with products exported to over 150 countries and regions.

Market Distribution Characteristics

In terms of market distribution, the ASEAN region has shown particularly outstanding growth. After the opening of the 'Dongguan-Vietnam' direct shipping route, delivery cycles have been significantly shortened. Bulk orders in the direction of Indonesia have maintained stable shipments, while markets in Thailand, Malaysia, and others are actively engaging in negotiations. At the same time, the market also covers more than 20 countries and regions, including the United Kingdom and Australia. Recently, key projects such as office buildings exported to Cameroon, staff dormitories in Indonesia, oil and gas camps in Australia, and elderly care apartments in the United Kingdom have been successfully delivered.

Reasons for Overseas Customers' Choices

Overseas customers choose Chinese prefabricated houses primarily for the following reasons:

• Price Advantage: For example, British merchants state that the prices of Chinese prefabricated houses are unbeatable.
• Labor Cost Savings: Overseas labor is expensive, and the prefabricated house model saves a significant amount of on-site labor, making the cost recovery period more certain and faster.
• Short Construction Period: For global investment developers, the losses from construction delays are difficult to estimate, and modular construction precisely addresses this pain point.

Export Characteristics and Competitive Focus

The export of prefabricated houses differs significantly from the export of ordinary goods. Different countries and regions have varying requirements in terms of climate, structural standards, doors and windows, utilities, insulation, corrosion resistance, and even living habits. Therefore, truly capable prefabricated building enterprises with overseas project capabilities need to re-match their solutions according to the project location. In the future, the competitive focus will increasingly shift from simply comparing prices to solution design, product adaptation, and project resolution capabilities. Guangdong, especially the Pearl River Delta enterprises, have advantages in this round of overseas expansion due to their proximity between manufacturing, material supply, port logistics, and foreign trade services.