Motorcycle is one of the important export mechanical and electrical products in Guangdong Province. Depending on excellent quality and reasonable price, the motorcycles of Guangdong rapidly occupied the international market and Guangdong became one of the important motorcycles export and producing bases. In recent years, the proportion of Guangdong total export volume to national export volume is increasing. In 2001, Guangdong exported 141,000 motorcycles, accounting for 4.9 percent of national motorcycles export volume and until 2007, the total export volume reached 2.605 million, accounting for 23.7 percent of national export volume, creating one bright export "Golden Period."
　
However, along with the production costs continue to rise and the international trade environment is deteriorating, the motorcycle industry is also facing the constantly increasing risk, and the motorcycle export of Guangdong Province is being tired. According to the statistics of Huangpu Customs, at the first half year the exported motorcycles of Guangdong Province was1.352 million, up 1.2 percent comparing with the same period of last year and the increasing extent down 25.3 percentage; the value was 660 million U.S. dollars, increasing 11 percent. The export markets were mainly in developing countries and regions. Motorcycles exported to African countries were 659,000, up 27.5 percent, of which exported to Nigeria were 2 2,000,  increasing 30.4 percent; exported to Latin American and Asian markets respectively were 312,000 and 191,000, down 4.7 percent and 34.2 %; all of the above three markets accounted for 86 percent of total exports. And the motorcycles exported to the three markets most are small and medium-sized motorcycles, and the total number of displacement under 150 ml motorcycles which with reciprocating internal combustion engines was 1.311 million,  up 2.3 percent, accounting for 97 percent.

 Related officers of Huangpu Customs denoted that the difficulties of Guangdong motorcycle exports are influenced by various aspects.

First, the production costs increased and the advantages of industry competition seriously weakened. Under the influence of unfavorable facts such as copper, aluminum and other raw material prices overall rose on a global scale, the appreciation of the RMB, up of bank loan interest rates, down of export tax rebates and the transport, electricity constantly go higher, the production costs of Guangdong motorcycles rapidly increased, and the profits further squeezed, industry competitive advantage status under serious threat.

Second, the international trade environment is deteriorating. In recent years, China motorcycle exports successive encountered a number of  trade barriers. Since August 2006, Turkey began to assess upon China exported motorcycles deposit of 200 to 300 U.S. dollars per motorcycle, launched normal safegurds investigation to some exported motorcycles, carried out non-automatic licensing system to motorcycle exports. From 2007 June 1, the United States and the European Union implemented the new tire testing standards, more strict than current standard of tyre's security parameters and durability testing mileage increased 1.5 times than the original. Affected by this, at the first half of this year, the export of Guangdong motorcycles to the United States and the EU respectively declined 24.6 percent and 10 percent and to Turkey even droped 50.5 percent. At the same time, because Africa and Latin America and other developing countries themselves have weak industrial bases, motorcycle production concentrated in low-end with the similar characteristics of China exports and therefore, these countries may at any time to establish or improve the technical standards to protect their national industry, making restrictions to our motorcycle exports.

Third, high-technology seriously lagged behind. At present, the manufacturing technology field of China's medium and small displacement motorcycles has been close to the level of developed countries, but large displacement, personalized and environment-friendly, high value-added high-end product development and production capacity need to further improve.

Some relevant persons advised that "inside and outside keep balance". On the one hand, strengthen the supervision of motorcycle export quality management, support quality enterprises to optimize the product structure, encourage powerful enterprises to "going out" and enhance the international competitiveness of products and the ability of enterprises to resist risks; the other hand, guide the domestic motorcycle  enterprises to change production and management concepts, change the "export-oriented" business strategy and vigorously develop the domestic market.