According to the latest data released by Customs, sanitary ceramics exports in the first four months of 2026 totaled US$1.278 billion, down 17.30% year-on-year, with the rate of decline narrowing compared to 2025.

Year	Exports in First Four Months (US$ 100M)	Year-on-Year
2022	24.10	+3.90%
2023	16.81	-30.24%
2024	19.38	+15.29%
2025	15.45	-20.25%
2026	12.78	-17.30%

In terms of timing, the export tax rebate policy adjustment that took effect on April 1, 2026 is not yet sufficient to fully reflect the policy’s impact; further effects will need to be continuously tracked and verified in the months ahead.

2026, in the first four months, the total exports to the top ten export destinations amounted to approximately US$763 million, accounting for 59.7% of total exports, indicating that concentration remains relatively high.

Rank	Market	Exports in First Four Months (US$)	Year-on-Year
1	United States	225 million	+3.54%
2	Vietnam	72.83 million	-52.33%
3	Singapore	57.94 million	-50.20%
4	Thailand	53.72 million	-14.82%
5	Malaysia	46.24 million	-38.35%
6	South Korea	41.68 million	-17.68%
7	Australia	35.89 million	+7.23%
8	United Kingdom	35.56 million	-13.05%
9	Canada	32.89 million	-27.06%
10	Brazil	32.40 million	+69.67%

The position of the U.S. market has been further strengthened. The United States continues to hold firmly as the largest export market, with exports reaching US$225 million, up 3.54% year-on-year — the only market among the top ten to achieve positive growth, demonstrating exceptional resilience. The U.S. market accounts for 29.5% of the top ten, a prominent strategic position.

Southeast Asian markets retreated. Among the top ten markets, the largest declines all came from Southeast Asia:

• Vietnam down 52.33%
• Singapore down 50.20%
• Malaysia down 38.35%
• Thailand down 14.82%

The four major Southeast Asian markets had combined exports of approximately US$2.31 billion, a year-on-year decrease of more than US$160 million. In addition, the Philippines fell even further, by 58.82%.

The decline in Southeast Asian markets is highly correlated with the boom in re-export trade in some markets from 2024 to 2025. Moreover, the impact of the elimination of the export tax rebate on cost-sensitive Southeast Asian markets may appear earlier than in other regions.

Brazil became the biggest highlight. Brazil’s exports grew 69.67%, reaching US$32.40 million, the fastest growth rate among the top ten markets. At the same time, Australia grew 7.23%, indicating that the Southern Hemisphere and emerging markets still possess growth potential.

Changes in Regional Structure: Established Markets Maintain Resilience

In terms of the regional landscape, North America edged up 0.62%, and Europe was essentially flat (+0.08%), becoming rare stable anchors against the backdrop of global turbulence;

Southeast Asia and the Middle East experienced structural declines, the former shrinking 41.27% and the latter contracting 40.34%, for a combined decrease of more than US$273 million;

The overall upturn across the three regions of South America (+19.48%), South Asia (+25.28%), and Africa (+6.50%) has begun to form a multi-polar support structure, with a combined increase of approximately US$22 million.

Growth Markets: Brazil, India, Indonesia

Brazil (+69.67%), Indonesia (+54.00%), India (+45.70%) and other emerging-economy markets posted high double-digit growth, while Djibouti surged a remarkable 193.66%, Morocco grew 24.80%, and Kenya grew 7.38%.

Europe’s overall exports were essentially flat (+0.08%), but there was clear internal differentiation. Countries such as Russia (+33.84%), Poland (+24.56%), and France (+8.51%) showed clear growth momentum, while markets such as Portugal pulled back. Although the eurozone’s construction market is weak, Eastern Europe and certain countries still hold some growth potential.

Central Asian markets such as Kyrgyzstan (+15.33%) and Uzbekistan (+17.35%) continued their positive growth trend, with total exports essentially flat (-0.44%).

Changes by Place of Registration: Guangdong and Zhejiang Grow

By place of registration, exports in the first four months of 2026 showed clear differentiation.

Place of Registration	Exports in First Four Months (US$)	Year-on-Year
Guangdong Province	474,229,667	+17.4%
Hebei Province	161,089,407	+7.4%
Zhejiang Province	155,682,914	+29.6%
Shandong Province	91,704,810	-62.0%
Fujian Province	59,229,067	-27.9%
Xinjiang	55,889,723	-36.9%
Jiangsu Province	55,043,197	-63.0%
Hainan Province	36,956,695	+2669%
Henan Province	30,715,015	+15.9%
Shanghai	30,119,726	+23.1%

Guangdong continues to maintain an absolute leading position, accounting for approximately 37% of the nation’s total exports. Zhejiang grew nearly 30%, becoming one of the strongest growth poles among the top ten provinces.

Regions with Notable Growth

• Hainan: +2668.65%
• Tianjin: +345.36%
• Hunan: +71.38%
• Anhui: +59.99%
• Shanghai: +23.05%
• Henan: +15.88%

Among these, Hainan’s growth was mainly driven by a low base, but it also reflects that some trading entities are shifting to new platforms such as the free trade port.

Declining Regions; the traditional export provinces with the largest declines include:

• Hubei: -88.99%
• Sichuan: -66.28%
• Jiangsu: -62.96%
• Shandong: -62.00%
• Jiangxi: -63.36%
• Xinjiang: -36.93%

In particular, Shandong and Jiangsu saw their export volumes decrease by approximately US$150 million and US$94 million, respectively.

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Originally published in WeChat by Chu Wei Zi Xun on 2026-06-01. Translated and edited for English-language readers.