The metallurgical industry is a fundamental raw material sector of the national economy-often described as the "staple food of industry"-supplying critical materials to virtually all manufacturing sectors, including equipment manufacturing, construction, the automotive industry, and energy. It is characterized by its significant role in driving investment, strong capacity for job creation, and extensive industrial linkages. As a foundational industry vital to the national economy and national security, it serves as a cornerstone supporting the high-quality development of strategic emerging sectors such as aerospace, national defense, and the energy-chemical industry. [8-9] The metallurgical industry makes a substantial contribution to the national economy; in 2023, the combined output value of the iron and steel and non-ferrous metal industries reached 16 trillion yuan, exceeding 12% of the national GDP. By 2025, the direct value-added output of China's metallurgical industry is projected to account for approximately 4.2% of GDP (surpassing 10 trillion yuan), while supporting over 12 million jobs across the upstream and downstream supply chains.
The industry continues to operate steadily. Taking the non-ferrous metals sector as an example, the business confidence index for non-ferrous metal enterprises stood at 51.1 in the first quarter of 2026, rebounding into the expansion zone for the first time after three consecutive quarters of decline. In March 2026, the industry's business climate index was 38.0, placing it within the "normal" range; the sector exhibited characteristics of production growth, stable investment, market volatility, divergent trade trends, and rising profitability.
In 2022, three government bodies-the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE)-jointly issued the *Guiding Opinions on Promoting the High-Quality Development of the Iron and Steel Industry*. This policy drives the industry's transition toward green, low-carbon, and high-quality development, explicitly encouraging clean, low-carbon technologies such as hydrogen metallurgy, and setting a target for the large-scale application of clean hydrogen in the metallurgical sector by 2027.
The industry is undergoing profound transformation driven by technological innovation and management upgrades. The in-depth implementation of standardized safety management systems has catalyzed systemic changes across production, quality control, equipment management, human resources, and technological renewal; this empowers strategic corporate transformation and has helped the industry achieve a safety record of zero major accidents since 2016. Meanwhile, the application of digital and intelligent technologies-exemplified by large-scale perception models for metallurgical processes and intelligent metallographic analysis platforms-has significantly enhanced production efficiency and quality control capabilities. Regarding the green transition, the electrolytic aluminum industry is accelerating the realignment of its production capacity toward regions rich in clean energy, and the development of "green aluminum" is gaining momentum; by 2025, my country's recycled aluminum output had reached 11.6 million tonnes.
The industry's contributions and social value have garnered widespread recognition. In the 2026 National May 1st Labor Awards, the non-ferrous metals sector saw 14 entities receive the National May 1st Labor Certificate of Merit, 45 individuals awarded the National May 1st Labor Medal, and 41 teams honored with the National Workers' Pioneer title-recognitions spanning every stage of the industry value chain.
