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Nonferrous metals, in the narrow sense, also known as non-ferrous metals, refer to all metals other than iron, manganese, and chromium. In the broad sense, nonferrous metals also include nonferrous alloys.
A nonferrous alloy is an alloy composed of a base metal that is a nonferrous metal (typically accounting for more than 50%) to which one or more other elements have been added. Nonferrous metals generally refer to all metals except iron (and sometimes also manganese and chromium) and iron-based alloys. Nonferrous metals can be categorized into heavy metals (such as copper, lead, and zinc), light metals (such as aluminum and magnesium), precious metals (such as gold, silver, and platinum), and rare metals (such as tungsten, molybdenum, germanium, lithium, lanthanum, and uranium).
National-level policies for the non-ferrous metals industry
According to the report published by Guanyan Report Network, Analysis of Development Trends and Investment Prospects in China’s Nonferrous Metals Industry (2022-2029) The report shows that in recent years, in order to promote the development of the nonferrous metals industry, China has successively introduced a number of policies. For example, in 2021, the State Council issued the “Action Plan for Peaking Carbon Emissions Before 2030,” which aims to drive the nonferrous metals industry toward carbon peaking. We will consolidate the achievements made in resolving overcapacity in electrolytic aluminum, strictly enforce capacity replacement measures, and rigorously control the addition of new production capacity. We will also accelerate the substitution of clean energy sources, increasing the proportion of hydropower, wind power, and solar power generation. Moreover, we will speed up the development of the secondary nonferrous metals industry, improve the network for the recovery, sorting, and processing of waste nonferrous metal resources, and boost the output of recycled nonferrous metals.
2015–2022 Summary of National-Level Policies for the Nonferrous Metals Industry in [Year]
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Release time
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Issuing Department
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Policy Name
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Key points
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2015
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General Office of the State Council
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National Standardization System Development Plan (2016-2020)
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Improve industrial standards for raw materials such as iron and steel, nonferrous metals, petrochemicals, chemicals, building materials, gold, and rare earths; accelerate the formulation and revision of standards; fully leverage the synergistic effects of standards across upstream and downstream sectors; and speed up the upgrading and replacement of traditional materials.
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2016
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General Office of the State Council
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Guiding Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Creating a Favorable Market Environment to Promote Structural Adjustment, Facilitate Transformation, and Enhance Efficiency in the Nonferrous Metals Industry
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Improve the standard system for nonferrous metal products and strengthen quality control in the nonferrous metals industry. Enhance the translation of key technical standards for China’s nonferrous metals industry into foreign languages, intensify efforts to promote the internationalization of Chinese standards, and facilitate mutual recognition and acceptance of certification and testing results for related products.
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2017
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State Council
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National Land Use Planning Outline (2016–2030)
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Promote the orderly development of nonferrous metal industry bases. Leverage resource advantages and appropriately develop deep-processing bases for nonferrous metals in central and western regions. Utilize imported raw materials such as copper and nickel to rationally plan and build nonferrous metal bases along coastal areas. Strengthen efforts to protect resources like rare earth elements, reasonably control the scale of their exploitation and utilization, and promote the orderly development of new materials and related application industries.
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2019
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General Office of the State Council
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Pilot Work Plan for the Construction of “Zero-Waste Cities”
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Focus on industries such as nonferrous metal smelting, oil extraction, oil refining, chemical industry, coke production, and electroplating, and implement mandatory cleaner production audits.
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2020
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State Council
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Notice of the State Council on Issuing the General Plan for the Beijing, Hunan, and Anhui Free Trade Pilot Zones and the Expansion Zone Plan for the Zhejiang Free Trade Pilot Zone
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The Chenzhou area will focus on aligning with the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, emphasizing direct connectivity between Hunan, Hong Kong, and Macao. It will prioritize the development of industries such as non-ferrous metal processing and modern logistics, aiming to establish itself as a key platform for undertaking industrial transfers and facilitating the transformation and upgrading of processing trade in inland regions, as well as a demonstration zone for cooperation among Hunan, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.
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2021
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Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, State Council
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Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Promoting High-Quality Development of the Central Region in the New Era
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Deeply implement major technological transformation and upgrading projects in the manufacturing sector, with a particular focus on promoting the transformation of traditional industries—including food and light textiles in Henan, coal in Shanxi, nonferrous metals in Jiangxi, metallurgy in Hunan, chemical industry and building materials in Hubei, and iron and nonferrous metals in Anhui—toward intelligent, green, and service-oriented development.
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2021
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State Council
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Action Plan for Peaking Carbon Emissions by 2030
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Promote peaking of carbon emissions in the nonferrous metals industry. Consolidate and build on the achievements made in addressing overcapacity in electrolytic aluminum production, strictly enforce capacity replacement policies, and rigorously control the addition of new capacity. Accelerate the substitution of clean energy sources and increase the share of hydropower, wind power, and solar power in energy consumption. Speed up the development of the secondary nonferrous metals industry, improve the network for the collection, sorting, and processing of waste nonferrous metal resources, and boost the output of recycled nonferrous metals. Accelerate the promotion and application of advanced, suitable, green, and low-carbon technologies, enhance the recovery of waste heat from nonferrous metal production processes, and drive continuous reductions in energy consumption per unit of product.
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2021
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State Council
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Comprehensive Work Plan for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period
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Focusing on industries such as iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, building materials, and petrochemicals, we will promote energy-saving upgrades and in-depth pollution control.
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2022
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National Development and Reform Commission and other departments
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Notice on Guiding Opinions for Accelerating the Advancement of Urban and Town Environmental Infrastructure Construction
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Improve the regional recycling and utilization system for renewable resources, and promote the categorized utilization and centralized disposal of waste materials such as scrap steel, scrap nonferrous metals, end-of-life motor vehicles, decommissioned photovoltaic modules and wind turbine blades, used household appliances, spent batteries, waste tires, waste wood products, waste textiles, waste plastics, waste paper, and waste glass.
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Source: Guanyan Report Network, “Analysis of Development Trends and Investment Prospects in China’s Nonferrous Metals Industry (2022-2029)”
Local-level policies for the nonferrous metals industry
In response to the national call, provinces and cities across the country are actively promoting the development of the nonferrous metals industry. For example, Heilongjiang Province has released the "Heilongjiang Province Medium- and Long-Term Science and Technology Development Plan (2021–2035)," which focuses on research and industrial-scale development of key technologies for the preparation and forming processes of materials such as aluminum and aluminum alloys, copper and copper alloys, titanium alloys, magnesium alloys, refractory metal materials, precious-metal catalytic materials, metallic thin-film materials, and high-entropy alloys.
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Release time
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Province and city
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Policy Name
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Key points
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2021
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Heilongjiang Province
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Heilongjiang Province Medium- and Long-Term Science and Technology Development Plan (2021–2035)
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Advanced nonferrous metal materials. Conduct research and industrial development on key technologies for the preparation and forming of materials including aluminum and aluminum alloys, copper and copper alloys, titanium alloys, magnesium alloys, refractory metal materials, precious-metal catalytic materials, metallic thin-film materials, and high-entropy alloys.
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2022
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Yunnan Province
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Yunnan Province’s “14th Five-Year” Plan for High-Quality Development of the Manufacturing Sector
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Focusing on enhancing the green development level and overall competitiveness of the nonferrous metals industry, and guided by the key principles of optimizing industrial structure, extending the value chain, expanding industrial clusters, and strengthening brand recognition, we will optimize the spatial layout of the nonferrous metals industry, deepen the integrated utilization of resources and energy conservation and emission reduction efforts, refine and extend the deep-processing industrial chain for nonferrous metals, vigorously foster large enterprise groups and advanced manufacturing clusters, continuously improve resource reserves and factor supply capabilities, accelerate digital transformation and empowerment of key industries and enterprises, and comprehensively reshape Yunnan’s nonferrous metals industry to build new competitive advantages across the entire value chain.
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2022
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Gansu Province
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Implementation Opinions of the General Office of the People's Government of Gansu Province on Promoting the Integrated Development of Domestic and Foreign Trade
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Actively take on the industrial transfer from eastern regions, strive to establish a processing trade industrial park, and vigorously develop specialized processing trade in grains and oils, timber, non-ferrous metals, and other such products.
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2022
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Qinghai Province
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Qinghai Province’s “14th Five-Year Plan” for Building a Modern Circulation System
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Steadily promote the development of markets for specialized industrial products such as new energy, new materials, salt lake chemicals, and nonferrous metals.
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2021
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Zhejiang Province
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Zhejiang Province’s “14th Five-Year” Plan for Ecological and Environmental Protection
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Deepen the reform of "evaluating heroes by output per mu," accelerate the relocation, upgrading, and merger/reorganization of heavily polluting enterprises in built-up urban areas, guide the rational industrial layout in key sectors such as petrochemicals, chemicals, iron and steel, building materials, and nonferrous metals, and prohibit the establishment of new chemical industrial parks.
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2021
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Henan Province
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Henan Province’s “14th Five-Year Plan” for High-Quality Development of Manufacturing and the Development Plan for Modern Service Industries
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Maintain the scale of primary aluminum production at a moderate level, extend the aluminum processing industry chain, and strengthen the utilization of recycled aluminum. Further enhance the competitiveness of premium aluminum products such as sheets, strips, and foils, and vigorously develop high-value-added aluminum products through deep processing. Promote a specialized cluster model featuring “raw materials + finished products.” Develop high-end, deeply processed products from lead and zinc, achieve alloying and productization of these materials, and intensify the recycling and reuse of secondary lead and zinc. Vigorously develop deep-processed copper products and new copper-based materials, promote the circular reuse of copper resources, and accelerate the transformation of nonferrous metals toward advanced alloy materials.
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Source: Guanyan Report Network, “Analysis of Development Trends and Investment Prospects in China’s Nonferrous Metals Industry (2022-2029)”
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