Inside the global construction machinery cross-border e-commerce distribution center in Jining High-tech Zone, Shandong Province, Wang Bin, deputy general manager of Xiaoxiang Heavy Industry Group, showcased a compact excavator to reporters.
"Don't let its small size fool you—this isn't a toy," Wang Bin said while demonstrating the machine. The mini excavator features versatile adaptability, allowing operators to switch between eight different attachments such as buckets, hydraulic breakers, compactors, and forklifts to suit various working conditions. Since its launch, it has become a popular "home helper" for consumers in North America and Europe. The distribution center displays a wide array of construction machinery equipment.
Previously, Xiaoxiang Heavy Industry primarily operated as an OEM manufacturer. Through years of accumulation, the company had developed mature technical capabilities and production capacity, and had considered building its own overseas brand. However, the high cost of establishing a dedicated international sales team and a lack of overseas market experience prevented them from taking that crucial step. Through the distribution center platform, the company successfully opened its overseas channel—within just over a month, overseas sales revenue from its mini excavators surpassed $600,000.
Jining is one of China's six major construction machinery production bases, with an industry scale exceeding RMB 80 billion. It is home to leading enterprises such as Shantui Construction Machinery and Komatsu, along with more than 200 upstream and downstream supporting companies. In recent years, Jining has actively guided enterprises to target overseas consumer markets such as the "garden economy," focusing on developing small and mini excavators. However, before the establishment of the distribution center, many companies faced similar overseas expansion challenges as Xiaoxiang Heavy Industry.
To address these pain points, Jining launched the global construction machinery cross-border e-commerce distribution center this June. "We have integrated resources from over 120 high-quality construction machinery enterprises in the city, consolidating 30 to 40 product types including excavators, skid steer loaders, and agricultural machinery into a 25,000-square-meter physical showroom," said Lv Zhanying, deputy director of the Economic Operations Bureau of Jining High-tech Zone. The distribution center operates as a "never-ending exhibition," employing a sales model that combines continuous display with live streaming, enabling production and sales coordination. Through indoor showrooms, live-streaming bases, and outdoor live demonstrations, the center attracts overseas customers, allowing resident enterprises to connect directly with international buyers and significantly boost transaction rates.
Additionally, the distribution center is equipped with a professional operations team and incorporates supporting services including customs, taxation, and financial functions. Approximately 5 kilometers away, the Jining High-tech Comprehensive Bonded Logistics Center facilitates immediate tax rebates upon goods entry, allowing enterprises to quickly benefit from export tax refund policies. The center also features a dedicated live-streaming base where outdoor demonstrations effectively engage overseas clients.
"We aim to establish a benchmark for producer services, attracting enterprises to develop within Jining High-tech Zone and driving the entire Jining manufacturing sector to expand overseas together," said Zhang Yan, deputy general manager of Shandong Haida Development and Construction Co., Ltd. The center has already attracted 107 resident enterprises, with plans to expand to 150 by the end of the year. Looking ahead, the center will also develop specialty business segments such as used construction machinery exports and domestic equipment distribution, striving to become a national model platform for cross-border e-commerce in equipment manufacturing.