Transformation of China's stainless steel export structure: Data support from low-end products to high-end equipment materials
Release time:
2025-07-16
Transformation of China's Stainless Steel Export Structure: Data Support from Low-end Products to High-end Equipment Materials
Introduction: Transformation Wave Revealed by Data
The latest data from the General Administration of Customs shows that China's total stainless steel exports will reach 4.55 million tons in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 12.7%. More noteworthy is that the export value of stainless steel for high-end equipment manufacturing exceeded US$8 billion for the first time, and its share in the total export value jumped to 35%, an increase of 22 percentage points from five years ago. This structural change indicates that China's stainless steel industry is undergoing a key transition from "quantity expansion" to "quality breakthrough".
Ⅰ. Transformation data map: low-end retreat and high-end rise
1. Traditional products continue to shrink
The export volume of low value-added products such as kitchen and bathroom appliances, building decorations, etc. has dropped by an average of 4.2% per year (2019-2023)
The market share in Southeast Asia has dropped from 68% to 52% (comparing 2018 and 2023 data)
2. Explosive growth of high-end materials
Category Export growth rate in 2023 Main application areas
Ultra-pure ferritic stainless steel +38.5% Automobile exhaust system, heat exchanger
Duplex stainless steel (2205) +57.1% Offshore platform, chemical equipment
Nickel-based alloy (N06625) +42.3% Aerospace engine parts
II. Technology upgrade drives transformation: three core breakthroughs
1. Pure steel smelting technology
Domestic leading enterprises control oxygen content to below 3ppm (international advanced level), meeting the strict standards of nuclear power equipment
2. Ultra-thin precision rolling
The mass production capacity of 0.03mm ultra-thin stainless steel strips leads the world, supporting the demand for current collectors of new energy batteries
3. Surface treatment innovation
The export premium rate of technologies such as No.4 precision graining and HL mirror treatment is 200% of that of ordinary materials
III. Expansion of high-end application scenarios: from import substitution to global supply
1. Energy equipment field
100% domestic substitution of nitrogen-controlled 316H stainless steel for the fourth-generation nuclear power plant
The export volume of 9% nickel steel for liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tanks has increased fourfold in three years
2. Medical and health industry
Medical-grade 316LVM materials that meet ASTM F138 standards occupy 35% of the global dental equipment market
3. New energy vehicles
The annual export volume of high-strength stainless steel (tensile strength ≥1200MPa) for battery pack shells exceeds 150,000 tons
IV. Analysis of transformation momentum: dual drive of policy and market
1. Precise policy support
The "Guiding Opinions on High-quality Development of the Steel Industry" clearly states that the proportion of high-end special steel must reach 25% by 2025
2. Enterprise R&D awakening
The proportion of R&D investment of leading enterprises has increased from 1.8% (2018) to 3.5% (2023), and the number of patent authorizations has increased by 40% annually
3. International standard discourse power
China has taken the lead in formulating 9 international standards including ISO 22085 "Duplex Stainless Steel Pipe Fittings"
V. Future trend forecast: Acceleration of high-end process
1. Product dimension
Forecast in 2025: The export value of high-temperature alloys for aerospace will exceed US$2.5 billion
2. Technical dimension
The commercial application of digital twin steelmaking and hydrogen metallurgy technology shortens the development cycle of high-end materials by 50%
3. Market dimension
The tariff on high-end stainless steel in the RCEP region has been reduced to 0%, and the high-end market share in Southeast Asia is expected to increase to 40%
Conclusion: The new industrial ecology behind the data
When Taigang's precision strips become the core material of Tesla's 4680 battery, and when Tsingshan Holdings' nickel-based alloy tubes land in the Middle East's 100 billion-level petrochemical project, Chinese stainless steel has torn off the label of "low-price dumping". Under the customs code 73269090 (other stainless steel products), the average export price of US$32,000 per ton (2023) is 8 times higher than that of traditional products - this is the most powerful footnote to the high-end transformation. In the next five years, with the mass production of cutting-edge products such as the fourth-generation high-nitrogen austenitic steel and ultra-thin materials for superconductors, Chinese stainless steel will play an irreplaceable role in the global high-end equipment supply chain.
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