Export of Prefabricated Houses Overseas
The export of prefabricated houses overseas has become a significant growth point in China's construction industry, with increasing recognition in overseas markets due to advantages such as rapid delivery, environmental protection, energy efficiency, and strong adaptability.
I. Export Scale and Growth Trends
China's export of prefabricated houses has shown a significant increase. From 2015 to 2025, export volume nearly tripled over a decade, with a growth rate of 45% in the first quarter of 2026. In terms of specific data, in the first seven months of this year, the Huangpu Customs supervised the export of 23 batches of modular houses with a value of 548 million yuan, a 7.3-fold increase year-on-year; in the first four months, enterprises across the country exported modular buildings worth 1.68 billion yuan through the Shenzhen port. Data from multiple ports indicate a warming trend in exports, reflecting sustained global demand growth.
II. Market Distribution and Typical Cases
1. Diversified Market Characteristics
Products cover more than 20 countries and regions, including the UK and Australia, with particularly notable growth in the ASEAN market. Countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia are actively engaging, while the UK and Papua New Guinea have achieved large-scale applications. For example, a UK merchant purchased 63 modular elderly care apartments, which were shipped from China and completed on-site hoisting in just two weeks; in Papua New Guinea, 84 modules were used to build a fully functional hotel, leading to subsequent orders.
2. Typical Enterprises and Products
Guangdong CIMC Architectural Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has independently developed an integrated steel structure modular building system with an average annual output value of 77.458 million yuan and a delivery value of 59.772 million yuan in the first half of this year; Yineng Modular Houses are exported overseas via 40-foot high cube containers; a US blogger purchased a 70-square-meter fully furnished house (including shipping and customs duties) for only $28,689 (approximately 200,000 yuan), with the video receiving over 2.49 million views, demonstrating price competitiveness.
III. Core Reasons for Overseas Customers' Preference
1. Significant Cost Advantage
UK merchants point out that local land and traditional construction costs are high, making Chinese prefabricated houses unbeatable in price; owners in Papua New Guinea state that the modular approach saves a significant amount of on-site labor, leading to a faster cost recovery period.
2. Outstanding Rapid Delivery Capability
Prefabricated houses are produced in factories, resulting in short on-site assembly periods. For example, the UK elderly care apartment project took only two weeks from shipment to hoisting completion, much shorter than traditional construction timelines.
3. Wide Range of Application Scenarios
Products are suitable for hotels, apartments, dormitories, office buildings, hospitals, data centers, and other fields, meeting the diverse needs of global investment developers.
