China’s clean technology titans, hungry for export markets to boost flagging profits, aren’t letting a crisis go to waste. Manufacturers of electric vehicles, batteries, and solar panels have been wooing nations looking to wean themselves off costly fuel imports since the Iran war triggered a global energy shock.
One of the country’s largest solar manufacturers Jinko Solar Co. inked two deals at the end of April with partners in Nigeria — in a region where diesel prices have soared 40% since the start of the crisis — while auto manufacturers are hunting avenues to extend sales into locations including Europe, and energy storage firms are lifting overseas shipments.