Chen Xuesen, Vice President of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, recently stated that the nonferrous metals industry will continue its stable performance in the first quarter, building on the positive momentum from the end of 2025, and is expected to maintain steady growth throughout the year.

Specifically, production will maintain steady operations this year, with the nonferrous metals industry's value-added output projected to grow by approximately 5% year-on-year. Industry revenue and profits are expected to increase, while investment will continue to expand. However, import and export trade faces challenges.

In the investment sector, sustained demand for nickel, cobalt, and lithium from downstream industries such as photovoltaics, wind power, and lithium batteries, coupled with the implementation of national consumption-boosting policies, is expected to keep fixed-asset investment in the nonferrous metals sector growing.

“Domestically, the industry's growth rests on solid foundations,” said Chen Xuesen. On one hand, a series of policies centered on the “Work Plan for Stabilizing Growth in the Nonferrous Metals Industry (2025-2026)” and high-quality development implementation plans for copper and aluminum industries are forming a systematic synergy. This provides clear top-level design and pathway guidance for the industry's transition from resource security to green transformation. On the other hand, the structure of endogenous growth drivers is undergoing profound changes. The sustained expansion of the “new trio” (electric passenger vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar cells) and the rise of industries like artificial intelligence collectively form the core engines driving the industry toward higher value-added segments of the supply chain, signaling higher-quality structural growth.

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