Chinese Embodied AI Robots Launch 'Weight-Loss Plan' for Global Export

In the first half of 2026, China exported robots worth 24.85 billion yuan, with nearly 9 out of every 10 humanoid robots globally produced in China. However, over 60% of exported units serve entertainment or education rather than manufacturing. To address high delivery and after-sales costs, companies are adopting modular hardware for easier repairs, shared maintenance platforms like RobotICU, and 'Robot-as-a-Service' (RaaS) models to shift from heavy physical delivery to lighter service-based revenue streams.