Achievements of China’s Stainless Steel Industry in the 14th Five-Year Plan Period

The 14th Five-Year Plan period is an important stage for China’s 不锈钢 industry to achieve high-quality development. Facing multiple challenges such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, profound changes in the global economic structure, and the transformation and upgrading of China’s domestic economy, the stainless steel industry has stuck to the development directions of innovation-driven growth, green and low-carbon development, and smart manufacturing. It has made remarkable achievements in industrial scale, structural optimization, international layout and technological breakthroughs: through heavy investment in R&D and institutional innovation, it has broken foreign monopolies and developed key materials from scratch; it has promoted the transformation to smart manufacturing and green low-carbon development, raising manufacturing standards and reducing environmental impact; it has actively explored downstream applications, widely applying new materials in national major projects and strategic emerging industries; it has taken the lead in formulating standards and building brands, boosting its voice in the global market.

Steady Growth in Output and Sharp Rise in Industrial Concentration

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s crude 不锈钢 output maintained a steady growth trend overall. In 2020, China’s stainless steel output reached 31.039 million tons. Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s stainless steel exports dropped sharply in 2022, leading to a slight decline in crude steel output. After the end of the pandemic in 2023, China’s crude stainless steel output saw a rapid growth of 12.59% to 36.676 million tons, and China’s share of global stainless steel output surged to 62.54%. It is estimated that by 2025, China’s crude stainless steel output will hit 41 million tons, with its global share rising further.

The industrial concentration of the stainless steel industry has increased greatly during this period. By the end of 2025, China’s stainless steel smelting capacity will exceed 50 million tons. From 2020 to 2024, the proportion of crude steel output by the top three stainless steel enterprises rose from 50.94% in 2020 to 67.30% in 2024, showing a clear strengthening of the industry’s agglomeration effect.

Accelerated Structural Optimization and Upgrading of Products to High-end Level

The adjustment of China’s 不锈钢 product mix has sped up significantly in the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The proportion of 300-series stainless steel increased from 47.99% in 2020 to 51.45% in 2024, while that of 200-series stainless steel fell from 32.11% to 29.32%, and duplex stainless steel rose from 0.62% to 1.04%. The output of molybdenum-containing stainless steel grew from 1.1794 million tons in 2020 to 2.2044 million tons in 2024, with its proportion rising from 3.8% to 5.59%. It is expected to reach 2.5 million tons by 2025.

Diverse Overseas Development Modes and Further Advanced International Layout

In the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s 不锈钢 industry has undergone a profound shift from simple product exports to the coordinated overseas development of “resources, production capacity, technology and standards”. In terms of import and export, China’s stainless steel import and export volume hit a record high in 2022, with annual imports reaching 3.285 million tons. With the development of markets along the Belt and Road, China’s net exports of stainless steel have kept growing, hitting 3.166 million tons in 2024 and expected to reach 3.5 million tons in 2025.