A reporter learned from the China Iron and Steel Association that in the first five months of this year, China's steel industry operated steadily, and the trend of industrial transformation and upgrading was obvious.
The latest statistics show that in the first five months of this year, the national steel output was 606 million tons, up by 5.2% year-on-year. Among them, industrial steel consumption has significantly increased, especially in the automotive and home appliance manufacturing sectors. The output of cold-rolled thin plates reached 20.057 million tons, up by 6.9% year-on-year. In addition, the completion volumes of mechanical equipment, metal containers, and shipbuilding have all seen significant growth, which has also driven up the demand for steel in related industries.
At a steel trading enterprise in Beijing, the reporter saw a queue of trucks coming to pick up goods. The person in charge told the reporter that their business this year has improved significantly compared to last year, and industrial steel is currently the main force in sales.
Not only in the domestic market, but also in terms of exports, in the first five months, China's net crude steel exports exceeded 50 million tons, an increase of nearly 9 million tons year-on-year, showing a significant growth trend in exports.
Experts point out that since the beginning of this year, the acceleration of new industrialization has been driving a deep adjustment in the demand structure of steel in China, and AI technology is also constantly empowering the steel industry. Among the six "lighthouse factories" in the global steel industry, three are owned by Chinese enterprises. Additionally, 29 steel companies have been recognized as national-level intelligent manufacturing demonstration factories, leading the industry towards a green and intelligent future.