China sees surging coffee machine exports to emerging markets

Coffee machine manufacturers in Shunde, a manufacturing hub in south China's Guangdong Province, are expanding production to meet soaring overseas demand, particularly from Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

At a leading coffee manufacturer in Shunde District, Foshan City that is known for its home appliance factories, ten production lines were humming at full tilt, responding to an unprecedented influx of orders since January.

"We currently have ten production lines, which are still insufficient to meet our order deliveries. So, we will add two more production lines this month," said Yanfang Yu, head of overseas markets at the coffee machine company.

At another enterprise, manager Lin Nuofeng attributed the bustling production scene to substantial growth in emerging markets.

"Emerging markets like Southeast Asia and the Middle East have shown substantial growth. Previously, they accounted for only 10-20 percent of our orders. This year, it has risen significantly to over 30 percent to nearly 40 percent," Lin explained.

With advancements in China's coffee machine industry chain, international markets increasingly favor machines incorporating Chinese core components, alongside growing demand for higher-end models.

"In the past, our (coffee machine exports) mainly dominated the market in the range of approximately 80 to 200 U.S. dollars. Starting from this year, products in the range of approximately 200 and 1,000 U.S. dollars account for about 50 percent of our exports," noted Xie Jianping, responsible person at another coffee machine manufacturer.

China's domestic manufacturers are rapidly enhancing their products to meet market demands, thereby significantly boosting exports even during the traditionally quieter January-June period for exports.

Data from Foshan Customs indicates that coffee machine exports from Shunde totaled 1.32 billion yuan (nearly 182 million U.S. dollars) from January to May this year, marking a 26.4 percent year-on-year increase.

"From industrial design to mold matching and policy support, including comprehensive supply from our component suppliers, our iteration speed has accelerated. Previously a three to four-year process, now it takes just over a year for iterations," said Li Jicheng, head of research and development at a coffee machine manufacturer.

China sees surging coffee machine exports to emerging markets

The U.S.-led international mission formed a decade ago to combat the Islamic State extremist group in Iraq will cease to exist by September 2025, said a joint statement issued Friday by the U.S. and Iraqi governments.

There will be, however, a "transitioning to bilateral security partnerships in a manner that supports Iraqi forces and maintains pressure on ISIS," said the statement, which on the U.S. part was carried by the State Department's website, using the abbreviation of an alternative name of the Islamic State known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

According to the statement, the Iraq-U.S. Higher Military Commission which consists of representatives from both sides will formulate necessary measures to ensure the safety of coalition advisors present in Iraq during the transitional period.

The coalition's military mission in neighboring Syria, where the Islamic State also operates, "will continue until September 2026," the statement said.

The statement provided few details as to what, if any, number of U.S. troops will leave Iraq as a result of the end of the mission.

"I just want to foot stomp the fact that this is not a withdrawal. This is a transition. It's a transition from a coalition military mission to an expanded U.S.-Iraqi bilateral security relationship," a senior U.S. official told reporters during a briefing Friday.

The United States has some 2,500 military personnel in Iraq and roughly 900 troops in Syria, tasked with the mission of fighting Islamic State militants while also serving as trainers and advisors to local security forces.

U.S.-led coalition mission in Iraq drawing to end by September 2025