The overall value of exported industrial robots in 2024 rose by an average 11.4% for all exporting countries from 5 years earlier in 2020 when total shipments of industrial robots were valued at $5.4 billion.
Year over year, export sales of industrial robots dropped by -18.4% compared to $7.3 billion for 2023.
The 5 biggest suppliers of industrial robots on international markets are Japan, Germany, mainland China, Italy and Denmark. That quintet of leading robot exporters generated over half (54.8%) of globally exported industrial robots in 2024. That percentage indicates a relatively concentrated set of market providers.
From a continental perspective, suppliers in Europe sold the highest value in exported industrial robots worth $3 billion or over half (50.9%) of the global total. In second place were sellers located in Asia at 41.5%, trailed by exporters of industrial robots based in North America at 7%.
Tinier percentages came from providers in Oceania (0.2%) specifically Australia and New Zealand, Latin America (0.11%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Africa (0.06%).
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 847950. That sub-code is specific to industrial robots used for multiple purposes.
Top Industrial Robots Exporters
Below are the 25 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of industrial robots during 2024.
- Japan: US$1.3 billion (21.4% of exported industrial robots)
- Germany: $639.3 million (10.7%)
- mainland China: $573.3 million (9.6%)
- Italy: $390.4 million (6.5%)
- Denmark: $389.8 million (6.5%)
- Sweden: $296.6 million (5%)
- United States: $277.8 million (4.7%)
- France: $265 million (4.4%)
- South Korea: $239.6 million (4%)
- Netherlands: $184.3 million (3.1%)
- Austria: $151.2 million (2.5%)
- United Kingdom: $135.3 million (2.3%)
- Canada: $126.8 million (2.1%)
- Switzerland: $98.5 million (1.6%)
- Spain: $97.8 million (1.6%)
- Taiwan: $94.3 million (1.6%)
- Singapore: $92 million (1.5%)
- Belgium: $82.7 million (1.4%)
- Malaysia: $67.3 million (1.1%)
- Luxembourg: $59.9 million (1%)
- Finland: $55.8 million (0.9%)
- Türkiye: $43.6 million (0.7%)
- Slovenia: $31.8 million (0.5%)
- Portugal: $31.2 million (0.5%)
- Hong Kong: $27.1 million (0.5%)
By value, the listed countries shipped 95.9% of industrial robots exported globally in 2024.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of industrial robots since 2023 were: Finland (up 73.3%), Hong Kong (up 72.2%), Malaysia (up 40.5%) and Switzerland (up 39.9%).
Those countries that posted declines in their international sales of industrial robots were led by: Japan (down -40.5% from 2023), Slovenia (down -33.4%), Spain (down -19.6% Germany (down -19.5%) and Sweden (down -19.2%).
Countries Earning Best Trade Surpluses from Industrial Robots
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for industrial robots during 2024. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s exported industrial robots and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Japan: US$1.2 billion (net export surplus down -26% since 2020)
- Denmark: $356.6 million (up 58.4%)
- Sweden: $229.8 million (up 225.7%)
- Italy: $205.4 million (up 10.4%)
- Germany: $201.6 million (down -18.8%)
- France: $108.3 million (up 7.4%)
- Austria: $85.8 million (up 16%)
- Netherlands: $68.8 million (up 567.9%)
- Luxembourg: $44.3 million (up 110.5%)
- Finland: $34.3 million (up 88.5%)
- Belgium: $33.5 million (up 24.4%)
- Switzerland: $16.8 million (reversing a -$37.6 million deficit)
- Hong Kong: $14.9 million (reversing a -$165,000 deficit)
- Croatia: $13.5 million (up 120.6%)
- Bulgaria: $11.3 million (down -4510.9%)
Japan earned the highest surplus in the international trade of industrial robots. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Japan’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Countries Incurring Worst Trade Deficits from Industrial Robots
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for industrial robots during 2024. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s import purchases of industrial robots and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$337.8 million (net export deficit up 68.3% since 2020)
- Mexico: -$157.1 million (up 110.6%)
- India: -$154.4 million (up 113.2%)
- Czech Republic: -$140.7 million (up 62.7%)
- Spain: -$118.2 million (up 271.1%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$89.9 million (up 834.5%)
- Brazil: -$79 million (up 50.1%)
- Türkiye: -$78 million (up 47.3%)
- mainland China: -$71.6 million (down -91%)
- Indonesia: -$70.9 million (up 21.2%)
- Vietnam: -$61.8 million (down -184.3%)
- Poland: -$56.5 million (down -6.4%)
- Russia: -$56 million (up 72.6%)
- Thailand: -$54.4 million (up 17.8%)
- Hungary: -$41.5 million (up 219.8%)
Mainland China incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of industrial robots. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights China’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for industrial robots-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.
Top Robotics Exporting Companies
According to PlantAutomation-Technology.com, the following businesses comprise the world’s top industrial robotics companies.
- ABB Group (Switzerland)
- Adept Technology Inc (United States)
- Apex Automation and Robotics (Australia)
- Aurotek Corp (Taiwan)
- Fanuc Corp (Japan)
- Kawasaki Robotics Inc (Japan)
- Mitsubishi (Japan)
- Rockwell Automation Inc (United States)
- Stäubli (Switzerland)
- Yaskawa Electric Corp (Japan)
See also Top Surveying Equipment Exporters by Country, Heart Pacemaker Export Sales by Country, Top Artificial Joints Exporters by Country and Hearing Aids Importers by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on July 22, 2025
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on July 22, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 22, 2025
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 22, 2025
PlantAutomation-Technology.com, Top Industrial Robotics Companies. Accessed on July 22, 2025
Zepol’s company summary highlights by HTS code. Accessed on July 22, 2025