Robot shipments are expected to jump 39% from 2018 to 2022 from a record annual sales level of $16.5 billion last year, according to the World Robotics report. More than a third of global installations were in China and the top five countries hold 74% of the market. China's investment in robots reached $5.4 billion last year. "We saw a dynamic performance in 2018 with a new sales record, even as the main customers for robots – the automotive and electrical-electronics industry – had a difficult year," says Junji Tsuda, President of the International Federation of Robotics. "The U.S.-China trade conflict imposes uncertainty to the global economy – customers tend to postpone investments."