A worker works collaboratively with an intelligent manufacturing equipment at a workshop of Harbin Electric Machinery Co., Ltd. in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on July 28, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

China's machinery industry logged steady growth in the first half (H1) of 2026, powered by a surge in smart equipment manufacturing and high-end machine tools, according to data released Thursday by the China Machinery Industry Federation.

The value added of major machinery enterprises -- each with an annual main business revenue of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.95 million U.S. dollars) -- rose 6.4 percent year on year, outpacing the overall industrial sector and manufacturing sector by 1 and 0.8 percentage points, respectively, the data showed.

During the January-June period, major machinery enterprises generated 16.1 trillion yuan in revenue, up 6.5 percent year on year. Of the 127 major machinery products under monitoring, 80 posted year-on-year output growth.

The industry also recorded sound momentum in cultivating new quality productive forces during the period, with the value added of intelligent equipment manufacturing growing 16.7 percent year on year, while that of 3D printing equipment, industrial robots and industrial automatic regulating instruments and control systems rose 48.5 percent, 28 percent and 25.1 percent, respectively.

Fueled by robust demand for high-end and intelligent manufacturing, the machine tool industry accelerated its upgrade toward high-end and smart production, with profits soaring 89.2 percent year on year, the data showed.

With the accelerated development of the modern industrial system and the continued implementation of policies to boost domestic demand, stabilize growth and promote transformation, the machinery industry is expected to sustain stable operations through the rest of the year, said Ye Dingda, deputy head of the federation.