China’s crude steel output falls 4.4% in 2025 2026-01-19

Jan. 19, 2026 - According to statistics, China’s crude steel production declined in 2025 amid broader weakness across major heavy industries. In December 2025, crude steel output totaled 68.18 million tonnes, down 10.3% year on year. Pig iron production reached 60.72 million tonnes, a decrease of 9.9%, while finished steel output stood at 115.31 million tonnes, down 3.8%. …

China's exports of refractory raw materials and products in Jan-Nov 2025 2026-01-15

Jan. 12, 2026 - From January to November 2025, China's total export quantity of 15 types of refractory raw materials was 7.1893 million tons, an increase of 17.35% when compared with the same period of the previous year, and the export value increased by 10.73%during the same period, resulting in a year-on-year decline of 5.64% in the average export price, according to the…

China confirms its largest bauxite deposit in Shanxi 2026-01-12

Jan. 12, 2026 - China has confirmed its largest bauxite deposit following the approval of a detailed exploration project at the Shenjiazhuang mining area in Xiaoyi City, Lvliang, Shanxi Province. The project—conducted by Shanxi Provincial Third Geological Engineering Survey Institute Co., Ltd.—has verified 183 million tonnes of bauxite resources, officially making the Lvliang S…

Magnesite emerges as overlooked gap in India’s critical minerals policy 2026-01-09

Jan. 8, 2026 - As India accelerates efforts to secure critical minerals for its energy transition and manufacturing goals, industry experts are flagging a potential blind spot: magnesite. While policy discussions have largely centred on battery-related minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, stakeholders say minerals essential for high-temperature industrial processes remain outside th…

IREFCON 2026 postponed to November 2-4, 2026 2026-01-08

Jan. 7, 2026 - The originally announced date has been changed for organizational reasons. The 16th India International Refractories Congress (IREFCON 2026) will now take place from 2 to 4 November 2026 at the Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty on Mulavukad Island in Kochi, Kerala, India. This biennial global forum will bring together manufacturers and end-user industries, including steel, cement, …

China steel industry outlook 2026 2026-01-08

Jan. 8, 2026 - In 2026, China’s steel industry is expected to remain in a prolonged post-peak adjustment phase. With domestic demand growth constrained and export momentum softening, the market is likely to operate under a fragile supply–demand balance shaped primarily by policy intervention rather than cyclical recovery. Supply–Demand Landscape: Policy-Driven Contraction and …

China cement industry update: 2025 review and 2026 outlook 2026-01-08

Jan. 8, 2026 - In 2025, China’s cement industry remained under pressure as demand continued to decline amid a prolonged downturn in real estate investment and a rare contraction in infrastructure spending. Intensifying supply–demand imbalances and fierce market competition led to generally weaker and volatile cement prices. However, a sharp drop in coal costs in the first half of the year—…

Global bauxite’s 2026 outlook steadies capesize market 2026-01-07

Jan. 7, 2026 - Bauxite is set to remain a key support for the capesize freight market into 2026, underpinned by sustained Chinese demand and strong export momentum from Guinea, even as longer term supply risks begin to surface. According to Signal Ocean’s Commodity Radar report, bauxite exports from Guinea are up 22% year-to-date, helping offset weaker coal volumes and stabilise tonne-m…

Tongliao emerges as a new fused magnesia hub 2026-01-06

Jan. 6, 2026 - Tongliao City in Inner Mongolia is positioning itself as a new production base for fused magnesia, leveraging abundant wind and solar resources, preferential electricity pricing, and an improving business environment to attract producers traditionally concentrated in Liaoning Province. In recent years, Tongliao has advanced a “green power + industry” model, conve…

The impact of Liaoning's industry policies on the magnesia market 2026-01-06

Jan. 5, 2026 - Recently, the core dynamics of the magnesite industry in Liaoning Province have been concentrated in four aspects: the capacity integration auction of magnesia in Dashiqiao, the policy of completely phasing out light-burned reflective kilns by the end of the year is coming to an end, the price fluctuations of some products, and the capacity replacement and adjustment. …

Mining investors seek redress after Guinea revokes licences 2026-01-04

Jan. 4, 2026 - Guinea’s recent revocation of multiple mining licences has prompted a series of legal challenges from foreign investors, highlighting rising regulatory and sovereign risk in one of the world’s most important bauxite-producing countries. In 2025, Guinea’s transitional government intensified its review of mining titles, citing alleged failures by some operators to…

China's imports of bauxite up 29.40% YoY in Jan-Nov 2025 2025-12-29

Dec. 29, 2025 - From January to November 2025, China's imports of bauxite totalled at 185.9598 million tons, representing a year-on-year increase of 29.40%, with the major countries of origin including Guinea, Australia, Sierra Leone, Guyana, etc. Among them, China imported 137.7237 million tons of bauxite from Guinea, an increase of 38.07% year-on-year. Imports from Austral…

China clarifies upgrade path for traditional industries under the 15th Five… 2025-12-29

Dec. 29, 2025 - China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has outlined clear priorities for the upgrading of traditional industries during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, with basic raw material sectors such as steel, petrochemicals, alumina and copper smelting identified as key focus areas for structural adjustment. According to the NDRC, traditional industries …

World Refractories Association (WRA) confers 2025 annual work safety awards 2025-12-27

Dec. 26, 2025 - World Refractories Association (WRA) recently announced the 2025 Annual Work Safety Awards winners, recognizing three outstanding industrial sites with consistent safety cultures. The awards reaffirmed that reliable safety performance stems from sustained knowledge circulation across plants, research groups and production teams, not single improvements. …

China's imports of andalusite up 8.66% YoY in Jan-Nov 2025 2025-12-27

Dec. 27, 2025 - From January to November 2025, China imported about 18,500 tons of andalusite, an increase of 1,477.366 tons compared with the same period last year, representing a year-on-year growth rate of 8.66%. In terms of the source of imports, China's imports of andalusite from South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and Peru increased year-on-year, while the imports f…