China Clean Tech Exports Hit Record, Cuts Forecast

China shipped record volumes of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles in the first nine months of 2026, driven by energy demand tied to the Iran war, according to a report released Thursday. The analysis by the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air projects that once installed, the year's exports will cut about 450 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, roughly Brazil's yearly total.

CREA tracked a 61% rise in electric vehicle exports, a 45% increase in wind turbine shipments, a 39% rise in battery exports and 22% growth in solar equipment sales over the same period in 2025. Value of electric vehicle exports reached $72.8 billion in the first nine months, up from $39.7 billion a year earlier, according to Atlas Public Policy. Exports to the United States rose 13% in January through September despite President Donald Trump's higher tariffs.

China's clean energy shipments to Southeast Asia climbed nearly 160% through September, according to Ember, an independent global energy think tank. The Philippines became the second-largest destination for Chinese solar exports in the first quarter of 2026. Indonesia has pledged to install 100 gigawatts of solar power by 2029, while Laos, Thailand and Vietnam have offered incentives for solar installations and electric vehicle purchases.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, source of a fifth of the world's oil and gas, was disrupted by the war, raising fuel costs for import-dependent Asian countries. Consumers in Southeast Asia are paying more for electricity and fuel and turning to rooftop solar. Renewed interest in clean energy options is likely to continue after the war, said Yu Sun Chin, with the research group Zero Carbon Analytics. "The surge in clean energy policies in Southeast Asia shows there is a paradigm shift happening," Chin said.

Myllyvirta, with CREA, called the shift a pivot for global energy and emissions outlooks, saying growth in clean energy is running far ahead of forecasts from a few years ago. Muyi Yang, a senior policy analyst at Ember, compared China's energy transition to replacing a ship's engine while at sea. Independent experts said CREA's estimate was in line with the scale of China's exports but were unable to validate the data. If export trends hold through the end of 2026, CREA estimates 8,400 million metric tons of carbon dioxide will be averted over the lifetime of the year's exports, about 24% of annual global emissions. Turkey hosts the annual U.N. climate talks in November, where electrification is expected to be a leading topic.