From 2026年4月1日至6月30日, quarterly data released by the International Society of Automation (ISA) shows that global demand for industrial sensors is still expanding, while prices and procurement structures are undergoing notable changes: on the one hand, automotive electronics, photovoltaic inverters, and energy storage BMS are driving order growth; on the other hand, China's average export price has declined slightly, accompanied by low-price competition and a growing preference for modular integrated procurement. For exporters, manufacturers, procurement parties, testing and certification service providers, and delivery-related businesses, this is not merely a change in demand. It also reflects adjustments to procurement rules, price comparison logic, and delivery requirements.

Known Changes in Q2 Orders and Prices

According to the latest quarterly report from the International Society of Automation (ISA), total global procurement orders for industrial sensors grew 19.2% year on year in the second quarter of 2026. The increase mainly came from the automotive electronics, photovoltaic inverter, and energy storage BMS sectors.

During the same period, China's average export price fell 2.3% year on year. The reasons identified in the report include the entry of low-priced competitors from Southeast Asia and a shift in the procurement methods of some customers toward modular integration.

At the same time, the report noted that high-precision pressure sensors and torque sensors continued to demonstrate price resilience, while domestic substitution is accelerating.

Changes in Procurement Approaches Are Spreading to Different Business Segments

Export-Oriented Businesses Need to Reassess Price Comparison Criteria

Analysis shows that order growth does not automatically mean an improvement in export unit prices. For direct trading companies and export manufacturers, the impact will first be reflected in quotations, customer negotiations, and delivery solution design. As some customers shift toward modular integrated procurement, businesses need to monitor whether customer technical documentation, tender requirements, supply boundaries, and supporting materials have changed, and avoid organizing quotations and deliveries solely around individual components.

Manufacturers Are Facing More Than Price Pressure

From an industry perspective, the impact on processing and manufacturing companies is more concentrated in product structure and quality verification. After low-priced competitors enter the market, conventional product categories are more likely to be included in centralized price comparisons or substitution assessments, while high-precision pressure and torque products still retain a certain degree of price support. This means manufacturers need to place greater emphasis on technical documentation, test reports, accuracy specifications, quality traceability records, and other materials that support differentiated procurement decisions. In particular, as customers' procurement rules become more integrated, the room for competing solely on price may continue to narrow.

Procurement Parties and Supply Chain Service Providers Are Paying More Attention to Delivery Compatibility

Based on current observations, procurement parties, channel distribution companies, and supply chain service providers may place greater emphasis on supporting capabilities, delivery consistency, and document completeness. Modular integrated procurement means that procurement decisions are no longer based solely on the parameters of a single sensor; they also consider its compatibility with the overall system solution. Accordingly, relevant participants need to pay attention to whether supplier qualifications, batch consistency, technical documentation, and after-sales traceability arrangements meet the requirements of the new procurement approach.

Testing and Certification Services May Become More Closely Aligned with Project Requirements

For testing service organizations and certification-related companies, this change is more like a shift in the focus of demand. Analysis suggests that when procurement parties shift their focus from individual components to modular integration, requirements for inspection-submission materials, testing boundaries, specification wording, and project compliance descriptions may become more detailed. What deserves closer attention now is whether subsequent customer documents, project acceptance requirements, and technical clauses in tenders will be adjusted accordingly.

What Business Changes Should Companies Be Watching Now?

First, Verify Whether Customer Procurement Documents Have Shifted Toward Integrated Requirements

Based on current observations, companies should first examine how customers describe their technical agreements, request-for-quotation documents, tender materials, and supply lists. If the purchasing organization has shifted from single-product procurement to modular integrated procurement, companies also need to adjust their preparations for specification descriptions, supply scope, interface responsibilities, and supporting documentation. If such changes are not identified in time, they can easily turn into delivery disputes after a quotation has been approved.

Prepare Test Reports and Technical Materials for More Effective Price Comparisons

For product categories facing price pressure, the importance of test reports, accuracy specifications, stability statements, and quality traceability records will increase. This does not mean that the relevant requirements have already become a unified set of new rules. Rather, it indicates that amid intensifying low-price competition, procurement parties are more likely to use standardized materials for side-by-side comparisons. Companies should focus on checking whether their existing materials are sufficient to support customers' reviews of performance, quality, and delivery reliability.

Assess the Market Pace of Conventional and High-Precision Product Categories Separately

Based on the available information, high-precision pressure sensors and torque sensors continue to demonstrate price resilience, while other categories may face more direct price competition. When developing procurement plans, inventory arrangements, and quotation strategies, companies should distinguish between the competitive conditions of different product lines rather than simply interpreting overall order growth as a simultaneous improvement across all categories.

Continue Monitoring Changes in the Implementation Approach for Domestic Substitution

The report mentions that domestic substitution is accelerating but does not provide specific implementation details. At present, it is more appropriate to understand this as a clear signal released by the market, rather than as evidence that all projects and customers have already adopted a unified standard. Companies should therefore continue monitoring whether subsequent tender documents, supplier admission requirements, project technical specifications, and customer acceptance procedures undergo further changes.

This Looks More Like a Signal of Procurement Rule Adjustments Than a Simple Market Recovery

From an editorial perspective, the value of this information lies not only in the order growth itself, but also in its indication that expanding demand and price pressure can exist simultaneously. For the industry, this means that the current market is not experiencing a simple rise in both volume and price. Instead, procurement rules, integration methods, and supplier comparison logic are being rearranged. In particular, the emergence of modular integrated procurement will extend competition beyond the quotation for a single product to technical documentation, supporting capabilities, and delivery organization.

Looking further ahead, this change is better understood as an implementation signal that has begun to emerge. Whether it will continue steadily still requires observation of subsequent customer documents, project requirements, certification procedures, and market feedback. At this stage, there is still insufficient evidence to conclude that industry rules have been fully established.

Identify the Real Changes Between Order Growth and Unit Price Declines

Overall, the key message conveyed by this quarter's information is that demand for industrial sensors remains supported, but the rules of competition on the trading and procurement sides are becoming more refined. For relevant companies, the real issue to focus on is not a single growth figure, but the chain of impacts on quotations, documentation, compliance reviews, and delivery arrangements resulting from low-price competition, modular procurement, and category differentiation emerging at the same time.

Therefore, it is currently more appropriate to interpret this information as a signal of adjustments at the market execution level. It has introduced new areas of focus for exports, procurement, and delivery, but whether these developments will become clearer and more established industry rules still requires continued observation in light of changes in customer requirements and actual implementation feedback.

Data Sources and Areas for Further Verification in This Article

This article was generated based on the information title, event date, and event summary provided by the user. The known facts originate from the supplied content itself. For such events, cross-verification is typically also required using information from industry associations, regulatory authorities, customs or trade authorities, standards organizations, and authoritative media reports.

Because the input did not provide a specific official source link, the specific official source cannot be further presented in the article at this time, and continued verification is still required. Areas that warrant further attention include whether more explicit integrated requirements appear in relevant procurement and tender documents, whether certification and testing procedures are adjusted, whether industry feedback continues to support this change, and how companies implement it in actual delivery.