A foreign visitor tests a Chinese motorcycle at the 139th Canton Fair on April 19, 2026. The fair has attracted about 250 domestic companies and brands in the motorcycle industry and their supply chains. Photo: Chi Jingyi/GT

The motorcycle exhibition area at the 139th Canton Fair is abuzz with global buyers, many of whom made a special trip to catch a glimpse of ZXMOTO, a Chinese brand that rose to fame at a world championship more than half a month ago. Pushing through the crowd at the booth, a Global Times reporter saw that many overseas visitors were inquiring about motorcycle models and taking photos. 

This bustling scene is not an isolated case, but a microcosm of the rapid upgrading of China's motorcycle industry, which is gaining recognition in the global market for its quality and technological strength, becoming a new bright spot in foreign trade.

A trader from the UK told the Global Times that he was surprised to see so many Chinese motorcycle brands at the fair.

"I look forward to introducing ZXMOTO's high-quality motorcycles to the local market, which currently has no Chinese motorcycle brands, and they could fill this gap. I am confident that the products will sell well," the buyer said.

This surge of interest follows the recent double victory of Chinese motorcycle manufacturer ZXMOTO in the World Supersport category at the Portuguese round of the Superbike World Championship, which attracted widespread attention.

"We are really busy these days. More than 5,000 visitors have come specifically for our brand. Many have inquired about working as local agents and placing orders, and we have received thousands of orders," Huang Qin, head of ZXMOTO's foreign trade department, told the Global Times. 

Huang said that the company has launched a number of self-developed motorcycle models at the fair and the market response has been very positive. "Recently, our new domestic orders surpassed 20,000 units, while overseas orders have topped 1,000 units, with production schedules arranged until September this year," Huang added.

In addition to ZXMOTO, the fair has attracted about 250 companies and brands in the motorcycle industry and their supply chains, according to the online category on the Canton Fair's official website. 

Leading motorcycle manufacturer CFMOTO showcased about 10 heavyweight products including its two-wheeled motorcycles at the Canton Fair. On the first day of the exhibition, its booth attracted thousands of buyers from Europe, North America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and other regions, according to a note on its official website.

In 2025, CFMOTO registered a record annual performance, with total revenue rising 31.3 percent year-on-year to 19.746 billion yuan ($2.89 billion) and net profit growing 13.83 percent to 1.675 billion yuan, according to the company's annual report. 

The company stated that its products are exported to more than 100 countries and regions worldwide. Thanks to optimized power train performance, intelligent configurations and mainstream industrial design, its models have gained broad recognition in mature European and American markets, matching the competitiveness of global top-tier brands, according to the annual report.

Loncin Motor, another key enterprise in the industry, also achieved impressive results in 2025. Its operating income stood at 19.135 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 13.75 percent, with net profit attributable to parent shareholders rising 46.95 percent to 1.648 billion yuan, according to its annual report.

In 2025, China's motorcycle exports reached 18.2346 million units, a year-on-year increase of 25.77 percent, with a value of $11.389 billion, a year-on-year increase of 30.67 percent. Latin America accounted for the largest volume of exports, while Africa recorded the highest growth rate in exports, according to customs data compiled and released on the website of the China Chamber of Commerce for Motorcycle.

According to data released by the General Administration of Customs, China exported 4.63 million internal combustion engine motorcycles in the first quarter, worth 21.14 billion yuan, representing year-on-year increases of 13.5 percent and 14.2 percent. China exported 11.14 million motorcycles in the first quarter of 2026, with a total value of 34.445 billion yuan, representing an 18.8 percent increase in volume and an 18.4 percent rise in value compared with the same period last year, China Media Group reported.

"The booming overseas sales and surging orders of China's motorcycle enterprises are a direct epitome of the high-quality development of China's foreign trade," Bai Ming, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Sunday.

A solid manufacturing foundation and continuously enhanced core product competitiveness are the fundamental prerequisites for Chinese brands to gain a firm foothold in the global market, Bai said.