China's Medium-Duty Truck Market Surges 74% in May

China's medium-duty truck market recorded its strongest growth of the year in May 2026, outperforming all other truck segments and extending its recovery momentum.

According to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), total truck sales in China, including truck chassis and tractor units, reached 323,500 units in May, up 11% year-on-year despite a 6% decline from April.

Medium-duty trucks were the standout performer. Sales reached 13,400 units in May, up 3% month-on-month and 74% year-on-year, marking the third consecutive month of growth on both measures.

The May result was the highest for the month in the past five years and represented an increase of nearly 6,000 units compared with May 2025.

For the January-May period, medium-duty truck sales totaled 61,500 units, up 24% year-on-year. The market added approximately 12,000 units compared with the same period last year, reaching its highest cumulative volume for the first five months of the year in the past five years.

Medium-Duty Truck Market Sales by Manufacturer in May 2026 (Units)

Growth was broadly shared across the industry. Nine of the top ten manufacturers posted year-on-year sales increases in May, while only one recorded a decline.

FAW TRUCKS, Foton and Weichai New Energy delivered the strongest growth, with sales rising 152%, 277% and 850%, respectively. Sinotruk and Hubei Sanhuan also significantly outperformed the market, posting increases of 91% and 92%.

JAC, BYD and Shaanxi Auto recorded double-digit growth, while Dongfeng reported a 5% increase. The only manufacturer in decline saw sales fall by 41%.

FAW TRUCKS remained the market leader in May with sales of 3,954 units, capturing a 29.5% market share.

Sinotruk ranked second with 2,460 units and an 18.4% share, while Foton followed in third place with 2,163 units and a 16.2% share. The competition between the two manufacturers for second place remained close.

JAC secured fourth position with sales of 1,665 units and a market share of 12.4%.

Dongfeng, BYD, Qingling Motors and Shaanxi Auto ranked fifth through eighth, each selling more than 300 units during the month. Their respective market shares stood at 7.4%, 6.1%, 3.2% and 2.8%.

Hubei Tri-Ring and Weichai New Energy completed the top ten rankings with market shares of 2.0% and 1.3%, respectively.

In cumulative sales, FAW TRUCKS maintained a commanding lead. The company sold 19,500 medium-duty trucks during the first five months of 2026, accounting for 31.7% of the market.

Foton and Sinotruk ranked second and third with cumulative sales of 8,546 units and 8,473 units, respectively, giving them market shares of 13.9% and 13.8%.

JAC and Dongfeng followed with sales of 7,819 units and 6,322 units, representing market shares of 12.7% and 10.3%.

BYD, Qingling Motors, Hubei Sanhuan and Shaanxi Auto occupied positions six through nine, while Weichai New Energy ranked tenth with cumulative sales of 774 units.

Compared with the same period last year, FAW TRUCKS, Foton, Sinotruk, Hubei Sanhuan, Shaanxi Auto and Weichai New Energy all increased their market shares. The largest gains were recorded by Foton, FAW TRUCKS and Hubei Sanhuan.

Following May's strong performance, cumulative medium-duty truck sales growth reached 24%, significantly exceeding the overall truck market growth rate of 11%.

As China's truck industry moves into its traditional seasonal slowdown in the second half of the year, the medium-duty truck segment will be closely watched to see whether it can sustain its current growth momentum.