Benefiting from the preferential tariff policies of RCEP and the rise of the Southeast Asian clock manufacturing industry, China's clock needle exports to ASEAN have achieved explosive growth in 2025. In the first 11 months, the export volume reached 3.28 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of more than 40%, exceeding the annual target of 3 billion yuan ahead of schedule. ASEAN has become China's second-largest export market for clock needles, second only to Europe.
The demand in the Southeast Asian market is mainly for mid-to-high-end decorative clock needles and industrial clock hands. Chinese enterprises are gradually seizing market share by virtue of their cost advantages, rapid response capabilities and technological upgrading achievements. Many clock needle enterprises in Guangdong, have set up assembly plants in Vietnam and Malaysia to avoid trade barriers, shorten delivery cycles, and reduce production costs by leveraging local labor cost advantages. A precision clock needle enterprise in Shenzhen stated that customized aluminum clock needles account for 65% of its export orders to Indonesia and Thailand, mainly supplying local high-end home decorative clock brands.
Industry analysts point out that as the Southeast Asian clock assembly industry extends upstream along the value chain, the demand for high-precision clock needles will continue to rise. It is suggested that domestic enterprises seize the opportunity, strengthen in-depth cooperation with local clock manufacturers, layout localized R&D and production, optimize product structure, increase the proportion of high-end customized products, and consolidate their competitive advantages in the ASEAN market.
