China has solidified its position as the undisputed leader in clean-energy supply chains, capturing approximately 70% of both the global electric vehicle and battery markets in 2025. This remarkable dominance comes as U.S. energy policy under former President Donald Trump continues to prioritize traditional oil and gas resources, creating a stark contrast in global energy strategies.
According to the China New Energy Vehicle Industry Development White Paper (2026) jointly published by the Beijing-based Yiwei Institute of Economics (EVTank) and the China Battery Industry Research Institute, China accounted for 70.3% of global new-energy vehicle sales last year. Global sales reached 23.54 million units, representing a significant 29.1% year-on-year increase.
The report reveals divergent trends across major markets. European EV sales surged 30.5% to 3.77 million units, while the United States experienced minimal growth at just 1.72%, reaching 1.60 million units. The U.S. market stagnation was largely attributed to expired federal tax credits, with monthly sales dropping to approximately 80,000 units in the final quarter of 2025 and market penetration remaining at 9.6%.
China’s supremacy extends to the power-battery sector, where Chinese companies commanded 69.4% of global installations in the first eleven months of 2025. Data from South Korea’s SNE Research shows six Chinese firms ranking among the world’s top ten suppliers, with CATL leading at 38.2% market share, followed by BYD at 16.7%.
This shifting balance has prompted experts like Dang Wang, a research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, to argue that global energy and manufacturing dynamics are decisively tilting toward China. In a New York Times opinion piece titled “Trump Is Obsessed With Oil, But Chinese Batteries Will Soon Run the World,” Wang contends that China’s electrification strategy is fundamentally reshaping global competition.
The geopolitical landscape continues to evolve as nations adopt different approaches to Chinese EV imports. While the U.S. maintains 100% tariffs and the EU has implemented anti-subsidy duties ranging from 17.4% to 38.1%, Canada recently reduced its tariffs to 6.1% and increased import quotas. The United Kingdom, post-Brexit, has never imposed additional tariffs on Chinese EVs.
Market projections indicate sustained growth, with global new-energy vehicle sales expected to reach 28.5 million units in 2026 and 42.7 million by 2030, potentially exceeding 40% market penetration worldwide.