Recently, eight departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Ministry of Commerce jointly issued the "Work Plan for Stabilizing Growth in the Nonferrous Metals Industry (2025-2026)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Work Plan"). To ensure the effective implementation of the "Work Plan", the relevant contents are interpreted as follows:
What is the background of the release of the "Work Plan"?
The non-ferrous metals industry is an important foundational industry, featuring a wide variety of resources, high industrial correlation and prominent strategic value. In recent years, China's non-ferrous metals industry has developed rapidly and has become the world's largest producer and consumer of non-ferrous metals. In 2024, the added value of the large-scale non-ferrous metals industry increased by 8.9% year-on-year, 3.1 percentage points higher than the average growth rate of the industrial sector. The output of ten commonly used non-ferrous metals reached 79.19 million tons, up by 4.3% year-on-year. The operating income and profits of the non-ferrous metals industry increased by 15.8% and 16.5% respectively year-on-year. It has strongly supported the development of strategic emerging industries such as aerospace, new energy and new-generation information technology, as well as the growth of the industrial economy. However, at the same time, problems such as insufficient resource guarantee capacity, high-end supply level and effective demand exploration have become increasingly prominent, and the impact of external shocks has intensified. The introduction of the "Work Plan" aims to coordinate the optimization of new growth and the revitalization of existing resources, promote the continuous transformation of old and new development drivers, develop new quality of productive forces in accordance with local conditions, further enhance the resilience and security of the industrial chain and supply chain, and respond to the uncertainty of rapid changes in the external environment with the certainty of high-quality development, providing solid support for the stable growth and high-quality development of the non-ferrous metals industry.
What are the overall considerations of the "Work Plan"?
The first is to enhance policy coordination. Focusing on the implementation of the spirit of the Central Economic Work Conference and the relevant requirements of the National Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, we will strengthen the connection with policies such as the implementation plans for the copper, aluminum and other industries, the carbon peaking implementation plan for the non-ferrous metals industry, and the implementation guidelines for digital transformation. In combination with the research on the "15th Five-Year Plan" for industry development, we will put forward the two-year goals and tasks for maintaining stable growth in the industry. The second is to strengthen systems thinking. Based on the entire industrial chain and supply chain, we should coordinate the domestic and international markets and resources, handle the relationship between supply and demand, the basic situation and new growth points, development and transformation well, effectively serve the construction of a unified national market, and systematically plan the tasks and measures to promote the stable growth and transformation and upgrading of the non-ferrous metals industry. The third is to highlight innovation-driven development. We will focus on promoting the in-depth integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, strengthen the leading role of enterprises in innovation, accelerate breakthroughs in key and common technologies, cultivate major application scenarios, improve the standard system, guide the improvement of product quality, and lead the creation of new demands with high-quality supply.
Iii. What are the main goals of the "Work Plan"?
The Work Plan proposes that from 2025 to 2026, the added value of the non-ferrous metals industry will grow at an average annual rate of around 5%, and the economic benefits will maintain a positive trend. The output of ten non-ferrous metals will grow at an average annual rate of around 1.5%. Positive progress will be made in the development of domestic resources such as copper, aluminum and lithium. The output of recycled metals will exceed 20 million tons, and the supply capacity of high-end products will continue to increase. The levels of green, low-carbon and digital development have continued to rise.
Iv. What work measures does the "Work Plan" propose?
The Work Plan focuses on the new situation faced by the development of the non-ferrous metals industry and puts forward 10 work measures in five aspects: ensuring resources, optimizing supply, promoting transformation, expanding consumption and strengthening cooperation.
First, promote the efficient use of resources and enhance the level of resource guarantee. We will carry out a new round of strategic actions for mineral exploration breakthroughs, strengthen the investigation and exploration of resources such as copper, aluminum, lithium, nickel, cobalt and tin, and scientifically and orderly allocate mining rights. Support the research and development of green and efficient mining, beneficiation and smelting technologies and equipment for low-grade, co-occurring and difficult-to-beneficiate resources. Strengthen the comprehensive utilization of waste non-ferrous metals such as waste copper and waste aluminum, as well as emerging solid wastes like used power batteries and used photovoltaic modules.
Second, we should strengthen industrial technological innovation and enhance the capacity for effective supply. Promote breakthroughs in high-quality raw materials such as ultra-high-purity metals, copper alloy structural and functional integrated materials, precious metal functional materials, and high-end rare earth new materials. We will further implement the quality excellence project in manufacturing, guide enterprises to enhance product quality, and lead the creation of new demands with high-quality supply. Support the construction of pilot platforms for new non-ferrous metal materials and low-carbon smelting processes, give full play to the role of key new material platforms, and accelerate the application verification and iterative upgrading of materials.
Third, expand effective investment and promote the transformation and upgrading of industries. By setting up green channels and other means, the processes of approval, filing, energy conservation review, environmental impact assessment, and safety facility design review for mineral resource development projects should be accelerated in accordance with laws and regulations. Scientifically and rationally plan projects such as alumina, copper smelting, and lithium carbonate. Promote energy conservation, pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction renovations in industries such as alumina, electrolytic aluminum, copper smelting, lead smelting and zinc smelting. Promote the construction of a carbon footprint management system. Launch the "Artificial Intelligence + Nonferrous Metals" initiative and build a large model for the nonferrous metals industry. Accelerate the development of standards for high-end new materials and quality management standards for key products, formulate carbon emission accounting standards for key products, and carry out the announcement management of industry norms for copper, aluminum, lead-zinc, magnesium, etc.
Fourth, expand consumer demand and stimulate market consumption potential. Promote the upgrading of bulk metal consumption and actively expand the application of high-end aluminum, copper and magnesium alloys. Support upstream and downstream enterprises in establishing long-term and stable cooperative relationships through signing long-term procurement agreements and other means. Enhance the application level of rare metals, accelerate the application verification of high-end products such as high-purity gallium, tungsten cemented carbide, and all-solid-state battery materials, promote the innovative application of cutting-edge materials, create typical cases of application scenarios, and cultivate emerging markets.
The fifth is to deepen opening up and cooperation and raise the level of international development. Guide and assist enterprises in actively responding to unreasonable trade restrictions from abroad, and guide the compliant export of high-end new materials and products and other deep-processed products. Increase the import of primary products such as anode copper and alumina. Accelerate the formulation of import standards for recycled metals such as tungsten and support the import of recycled resources that meet the requirements. We will steadily advance the construction of overseas non-ferrous metal projects, support cooperation with neighboring countries in building overseas economic and trade cooperation zones for non-ferrous metals, and guide the coordinated export of products, complete sets of equipment, technologies, standards and services.
V. How to Promote the Implementation of the "Work Plan"?
The Work Plan proposes three aspects of safeguard measures. The first is to strengthen organizational guarantees. Guide local authorities to, in light of their actual conditions, refine and implement the goals and tasks for maintaining stable growth, and formulate and improve supporting policies and measures. Give full play to the role of key enterprises and industry associations, promote the coordinated development of upstream and downstream industries, and strengthen industry self-discipline. The second is to enhance policy support. Make overall use of existing funding channels such as ultra-long-term special Treasury bonds, policies like the first batch insurance compensation for new materials, and fully utilize existing tax and fee reduction policies. Strengthen the national reserve of important varieties, enhance the assessment and guidance of relevant state-owned enterprises, and implement the talent support plan for the manufacturing industry. The third is to strengthen monitoring and dispatching. Make good use of big data, artificial intelligence and other technological means, strengthen the analysis and judgment of basic information of sub-sectors and global policies, resources, industries and technologies, and enhance the monitoring of the operation of key regions, leading enterprises and major projects. Improve the capacity early warning mechanism for key products.
