A truck loads containers at Tangshan Port, North China's Hebei province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Facing headwinds from trade protectionism and a slowing global economy, Chinese manufacturers are driving industrial upgrades to sharpen their edges, with tech-intensive green products gaining increasing traction in emerging markets.

Exporters noted that rapid urbanization and industrialization were boosting the demand for advanced electromechanical solutions. As a result, many Chinese firms are actively expanding beyond traditional Western markets, capitalizing on initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative to strengthen their footholds and unlock new consumer opportunities.

Risen Energy Co Ltd, a Ningbo, Zhejiang province-based solar cell and module maker, has been heading in that direction. It sealed a deal with Brazil's MTR Solar Group to jointly develop 1 gigawatt-hour of battery energy storage system solutions last month, further enhancing their ties in the Latin American market.

"In the past, our exports were primarily focused on the United States and Southeast Asia. However, with increasing tariff threats, we have been actively expanding our international sales network and have established numerous partnerships in regions and countries such as Eastern Europe, Latin America and Australia," said Tian Ye, Risen Energy's head of logistics.

The Chinese company's exports of energy storage products reached 50 million yuan ($6.9 million) in the first two months of this year, jumping 870 percent year-on-year, data from Ningbo Customs showed.

Liaoning province-based Shenyang Yuanda Aluminium Industry Engineering Co Ltd, a producer of curtain walls for buildings, is also capitalizing on such a trend. Its workers are actively engaged across multiple workshops, manufacturing PV curtain walls and intelligent shading equipment to fulfill orders from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore, ensuring timely delivery.

The company's newly signed contracts surpassed 1 billion yuan between January and February, reflecting a 35 percent year-on-year increase. Among them, international orders totaled 700 million yuan, with products mainly exported to Mongolia, the United Kingdom and Qatar, according to Shenyang Customs.