According to NBS data, in March, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size grew 5.7% YoY in real terms. On a MoM basis, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size rose 0.28% from the previous month in March. From January to March, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size was up 6.1% YoY. Value Added of Industrial Enterprises above Designated Size Up 5.7% in March 2026 In March, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size grew 5.7% YoY in real terms (all value added growth rates are real growth rates after deducting price factors). On a MoM basis, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size rose 0.28% from the previous month in March. From January to March, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size was up 6.1% YoY. By three major sectors, in March, the value added of the mining sector grew 5.7% YoY, manufacturing grew 6.0%, and the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas and water grew 3.5%. By economic type, in March, the value added of state-holding enterprises grew 5.9% YoY; joint-stock enterprises grew 6.2%, foreign-invested and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan-invested enterprises grew 3.7%; and private enterprises grew 4.0%. By industry, in March, 30 out of 41 major industrial sectors maintained YoY growth in value added. Among them, coal mining and washing grew 5.3%, oil and natural gas extraction grew 9.4%, agricultural and sideline food processing grew 8.0%, liquor, beverage and refined tea manufacturing grew 2.4%, textile industry grew 1.7%, chemical raw material and chemical product manufacturing grew 9.0%, non-metallic minerals product manufacturing declined 5.5%, ferrous metals smelting and rolling processing grew 1.7%, non-ferrous metals smelting and rolling processing remained flat YoY, general equipment manufacturing grew 6.3%, special equipment manufacturing grew 6.2%, automobile manufacturing grew 7.5%, railway, shipbuilding, aerospace and other transportation equipment manufacturing grew 13.3%, electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing grew 5.4%, computer, communication and other electronic equipment manufacturing grew 12.5%, and electricity and heat production and supply grew 4.2%. By product, in March, 329 out of 626 products of industrial enterprises above designated size recorded YoY growth in production. Among them, steel products totaled 130.98 million mt, down 2.3% YoY; cement 123.1 million mt, down 21.0%; ten kinds of non-ferrous metals 7.07 million mt, up 2.2%; ethylene 3.64 million mt, up 6.8%; automobiles 3.067 million units, down 0.1%, of which NEVs 1.336 million units, up 1.2%; power generation 802.5 billion kWh, up 1.4%; crude oil processing volume 61.67 million mt, down 2.2%. In March, the product sales rate of industrial enterprises above designated size was 93.8%, up 0.7 percentage points YoY; the export delivery value of industrial enterprises above designated size reached 1,458 billion yuan, up 8.7% YoY in nominal terms.

War damage to Iran’s key steel mills threatens ~14 Mt of capacity, sharply reducing crude steel output and exportable supply. While domestic demand remains relatively stable, energy shortages and logistics disruptions amplify losses, tightening regional supply, supporting semi-finished steel prices, and reshaping trade flows.

【SMM Steel】Volvo Korea and POSCO signed an MoU to develop high-performance materials and manufacturing tech for future construction machinery, focusing on carbon neutrality and electrification. POSCO provides advanced metals and processes; Volvo leads equipment design. A key goal is structural lightweighting via high-strength steel. The innovations will be used in excavators at Volvo's Changwon plant, securing the supply chain from raw materials to final assembly.

Recently, the Hubei Provincial Energy Bureau released the public announcement of the sixth batch of first (set of) major technological equipment in the energy sector. The announcement showed that four major hydrogen energy technological equipment projects were selected, covering key segments of the hydrogen energy sector and highlighting the progress of hydrogen energy equipment R&D and application in the province. The four selected equipment projects are: a kilonormal-cubic-meter-class alkaline-PEM integrated electrolysis hydrogen production system, a marine methanol fuel supply system, a multi-chamber physical vapor deposition system for hydrogen fuel cell bipolar plates, and a large-scale off-grid flexible hydrogen production system, all of which feature distinctive innovation and application value. The kilonormal-cubic-meter-class alkaline-PEM integrated electrolysis hydrogen production system was jointly developed by five enterprises, with China Power Construction (Zaoyang) New Energy Development Co., Ltd. as the user entity, based on the China Power Construction Zaoyang New Energy Hydrogen and Oxygen Production Project. The equipment pioneered wide-load flexible regulation technology, enabling 10%–120% wide-load adjustment and cold start-up in ≤30 minutes, and is compatible with renewable energy, which is of great significance for promoting high-quality development of the hydrogen energy industry. The marine methanol fuel supply system was independently developed by Jingmen Hongtu Special Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd., with its core encompassing multiple key technologies. Its methanol skid adopts an integrated skid-mounted design to achieve "plug-and-play" functionality and features a proprietary three-step pressure stabilization method that can handle fluctuations in methanol consumption, ensuring stable operation under complex working conditions. The multi-chamber physical vapor deposition system for hydrogen fuel cell bipolar plates was developed by Wuhan Research Institute of Materials Protection, China Academy of Machinery Science and Technology Group Co., Ltd. It achieved a leap from batch processing to 15-chamber fully automated continuous production, resolved core deficiencies of similar equipment in China, achieved 100% domestic component supply, and established a benchmark across the entire chain. The large-scale off-grid flexible hydrogen production system has Qianjiang Qingbei Hydrogen Energy Co., Ltd. as the user entity and was jointly developed by four organizations, based on the National Energy Administration hydrogen energy pilot project — the Hubei Qingbei Hydrogen Energy Qianjiang Green Hydrogen Project (green hydrogen capacity of 20,000 normal cubic meters per hour). Its solution is innovative and meets the application requirements. The selection of four hydrogen energy equipment projects is an affirmation of the province's hydrogen energy equipment R&D capabilities. It will drive breakthroughs in key hydrogen energy technologies, accelerate the industrialisation and application of equipment, and inject momentum into the province's energy structure transformation.

On April 2, 2026, the White House ushered US steel trade policy into "Version 2.0." This strategic shift goes beyond simple tariff hikes. It uses full-value taxation and melt-and-pour traceability to block low-end imported raw materials, while applying structural tariff reductions to finished products to ease manufacturing inflation. Ultimately, this two-pronged approach aims to forcibly bring the global supply chain back to domestic US steel production.

This week (March 27–April 2), the operating rate of machines in the enamelled wire industry pulled back by 8.65 percentage points to .....

Shandong Xingyi Metallurgical Equipment Co., Ltd. is moving forward with its high-speed precision cold rolling mill manufacturing project in Guan County, Liaocheng. With a total investment of 1.05 billion yuan, the facility features three interconnected stainless steel workshops designed for fully integrated, end-to-end production of cold rolling equipment. Having broken ground in June 2025, the project has completed its foundation work and is on track for an October 2026 launch. Once operational, it will produce 30 sets of cold rolling equipment annually, filling a key gap in the region’s high-end machinery manufacturing sector.

►New Advances in Magnesium Materials and Processes ►Development and Application of New-Type Low-Cost, High-Strength, Corrosion-Resistant Magnesium Alloys ►Stainless Magnesium Technology: R&D Progress from Alloy Materials to Semi-Solid Processes, R&D and Application of Stainless Magnesium Alloys ►Hefei • Great “Magnesium” Chaohu — Building a First-Class Magnesium Industry Ecosystem in China ►R&D Progress and Current Industrialisation Status of Magnesium-Based Materials and Products at Baowu Magnesium ►Haitian Magnesium Alloy Injection Molding Technology and Market Outlook ►Magnesium from an International Perspective: The Transformation from a Cost-Driven Bulk Commodity to a Strategic Engineering Material ►: Focusing on the New Cycle of Supply and Demand for Magnesium Metal and Downstream Applications — Outlook for the Magnesium Market in 2026

Recently, the first coils were successfully rolled off the pickling line and hot-dip galvanizing line of the cold-rolling project of Anhui Panhua New Materials Co., Ltd., for which China National Heavy Machinery Research Institute Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of SINOMACH Heavy Equipment Group, served as the EPC contractor, marking the successful commissioning of the project.

According to a recent report by Credence Research Inc., the global steel wire market is projected to grow from $111.9 billion in 2024 to $153.18 billion by 2032, registering a steady compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4%. This expansion is primarily driven by robust demand from the automotive, construction, energy, and industrial machinery sectors, alongside increasing adoption of galvanized, coated, and high-performance alloy/stainless wires. Asia Pacific currently dominates the market with over 45% share, fueled by rapid urbanization and infrastructure investments in China, India, and Southeast Asia, while Europe and North America follow with 22% and 18% shares respectively.