Korean Aircraft Parts Makers Court Chinese Buyers in Tianjin

KOTRA said on the 26th that it held the 2026 China Aircraft Parts Market Export Consultation with Gyeongnam Technopark in Tianjin, China, on the 24th and 25th.

The event drew 11 Chinese firms, including the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and Boeing Tianjin Composites (BTC), spanning global commercial aircraft manufacturers and their first- and second-tier suppliers. Twelve Korean aircraft parts firms took part, covering composite assembly, metal and machine processing, and surface treatment, and discussed specific needs and supply prospects through one-on-one meetings.

One Korean firm, which has attended the event for six straight years through this year, found a buyer at last year's meeting, signed a contract to supply an initial order, and began exporting early this year. The company plans to hold follow-up talks at this year's event to expand its supply to about $1 million a year.

Ahead of the meeting, the Korean participants toured a Tianjin Haite Aviation Engineering plant, which counts Airbus and other airlines operating in China among its main customers, to review the quality standards and technical specifications used at global manufacturing sites.

Tianjin is one of China's leading aviation hubs, home to an Airbus final assembly plant and a Boeing parts assembly plant, along with a cluster of global aviation and parts companies. China's fleet of commercial passenger jets is projected to grow to 9,740 aircraft over the next 20 years, and demand for aviation parts is rising sharply around Tianjin on the back of that growth.

Tianjin accounted for an average 23% of China's imports of Korean-made aircraft parts for two straight years starting in 2024. Last year, Tianjin's imports of aircraft parts (HS 880730) totaled $1.49 billion (about 2.06 trillion won), or 53% of China's total. Of that, imports of Korean-made aviation parts into the Tianjin region came to $18.99 million in 2024 and $14.30 million in 2025.

Chang Sang-hae, head of KOTRA's China Regional Headquarters, said the event would help boost the competitiveness of Korean aviation parts firms and expand their exports by arranging visits to the sites of global aviation companies and providing export consultation opportunities.