In 2025, China's electrolytic aluminum output reached 45.02 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 2.4%
On the afternoon of March 3, the press conference for the Fourth Session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Liu Jieyi, the spokesperson for the conference, briefed Chinese and international media on the relevant arrangements and answered questions on hot topics such as China's economic situation, technological innovation, and opening up to the outside world. As an important prelude to the national two sessions, this press conference not only released key signals about macroeconomic development but also outlined the policy context for the growth of multiple industries. Among them, key phrases such as high-quality development, new quality productive forces, and green and low-carbon transformation provide guidance for the future development of China's non-ferrous metals industry.
The year 2026 marks both the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan and a significant milestone as Chinese-style modernization advances to a new stage. The CPPCC National Committee has continuously offered suggestions and proposals on topics such as high-quality development, the construction of a modern industrial system, and green transformation—issues that closely align with the development direction of the non-ferrous metals industry. As a crucial part of the basic raw materials sector, non-ferrous metals not only support strategic industries such as new energy, equipment manufacturing, and electronic information but also play a key role in cultivating new quality productive forces.
High-quality development and new quality productive forces are opening up new opportunities for the non-ferrous metals industry. The press conference noted that in 2025, China's economy achieved 5% growth amid a complex environment, with deep integration between technology and industry, and the continuous growth of new quality productive forces. Currently, industries such as new energy, new materials, and high-end equipment are developing rapidly, driving sustained growth in demand for key metals like copper, aluminum, nickel, and lithium. With the accelerated deployment of new energy vehicles, energy storage systems, and intelligent manufacturing, the importance of the non-ferrous metals industry chain has become even more prominent. In the future, as the country pushes forward with the construction of a modern industrial system, the non-ferrous metals industry will upgrade from a traditional resource-based industry to a high-end materials and technology-intensive one.
Green and low-carbon transformation is becoming a key direction for the industry's development. The press conference specifically highlighted that the CPPCC National Committee has conducted special research on major issues such as green and low-carbon transformation. For the non-ferrous metals industry, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity. On the one hand, the traditional smelting sector is energy-intensive and emits high levels of carbon, requiring transformation through technological upgrades, energy-saving retrofits, and the substitution of green energy. On the other hand, the green energy system itself is highly dependent on non-ferrous metal materials—wind power, photovoltaics, energy storage, and grid construction all require large quantities of copper, aluminum, and rare metals. It is foreseeable that against the backdrop of advancing the "dual carbon" goals, green smelting technologies, recycled metal utilization, and innovations in low-carbon materials will become new frontiers of competition in the industry.
Technological innovation and industrial integration will drive the value chain upgrade of the non-ferrous metals industry. The press conference repeatedly emphasized the integrated reform of education, science and technology, and talent, as well as the strengthening of the leading role of technological innovation. For the non-ferrous metals industry, this means that industrial upgrading depends not only on resource advantages but also on technological innovation. In recent years, high-performance aluminum alloys, rare earth functional materials, and advanced copper-based materials have emerged continuously, playing important roles in aerospace, new energy vehicles, and the electronics industry. In the future, through deep integration of industry, academia, and research, the non-ferrous metals industry is expected to transform from a "raw material supplier" into a "key material solution provider."
Expanding high-standard opening up will also bring new development opportunities for the non-ferrous metals industry. The press conference mentioned the operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port as a closed customs area and China's continuous efforts to expand institutional openness. Against the backdrop of increasingly integrated global resource allocation and industrial collaboration, Chinese non-ferrous metal enterprises will have broader scope for overseas resource development, international trade, and technological cooperation. Meanwhile, as the Belt and Road Initiative continues to advance, China's position in the global metal resource supply chain will be further strengthened.
Overall, the press conference for the Fourth Session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee conveyed a clear policy signal: taking high-quality development as the main theme, driven by technological innovation, oriented toward green and low-carbon development, and accelerating the construction of a modern industrial system. This development framework provides a clear direction for the non-ferrous metals industry. In the future, the industry must seize the historic opportunities brought by the growth in demand for new energy and new materials, while actively advancing technological upgrading and green transformation, continuously enhancing its core competitiveness in the global industrial landscape.
As the national two sessions convene, more policy measures and industry guidance will be rolled out. For the non-ferrous metals industry, how to achieve structural optimization, technological breakthroughs, and green upgrades in the broader context of high-quality development will be a crucial issue determining the industry's future landscape.