Over the past 30 years of reform and opening up, China’s steel structure manufacturers have achieved rapid development in their manufacturing industry. Currently, this industry is in a historical development period from being a major manufacturing country for steel structure manufacturers to a manufacturing powerhouse. There are nearly 3000 qualified steel structure manufacturers and enterprises of all sizes in China, with an annual production capacity of 20 million tons. After more than a decade of introduction, digestion, absorption, and innovation of foreign technology, management level, and advanced business concepts, many enterprises have started to step out of their country, enter the world, and occupy a place in the international market in the process of cooperation with foreign enterprises.
Steel structure manufacturers have become competitive in the international market
Xue Fa, Deputy Leader of the Expert Group of the Building Steel Structure Manufacturers Committee of the China Building Metal Association, said that currently, the domestic market is already very crowded, while the foreign market is very open. Steel structure manufacturers in Southeast Asia, Russia, and Middle Eastern countries have developed relatively late and have a large demand, with unlimited business opportunities. We must firmly adhere to the continued reform and opening up, fully utilize two resources, two markets, and two types of funds, and push the steel structure manufacturer industry to a new height.
Nowadays, steel structure manufacturers and enterprises in China have the conditions to go global. Through the training of many major domestic projects, steel structure manufacturers and enterprises have formed a team of skilled management personnel, technical personnel, and workers, and have accumulated rich experience, Steel structure manufacturers’ buildings, represented by the domestic Olympic home stadium – the “Bird’s Nest” and the challenging engineering buildings at the new CCTV site, have established well-known brands overseas.
In recent years, domestic steel structure manufacturers and enterprises have gained valuable experience through cooperation and exchange with relevant foreign enterprises, and have gained an understanding of foreign norms, standards, and regulations. In recent years, under the international social environment, many developing countries have also recognized China’s steel varieties and begun to accept the standards and specifications for using China’s steel.
According to Xue Fa, some foreign projects undertaken by Chinese steel structure manufacturers and enterprises have received praise from foreign users, which has played a driving role in promoting steel structure manufacturers and enterprises to go global and establish brands. In addition, some enterprises have obtained recognition of certain foreign related qualifications through communication with foreign countries. For example, Laigang Construction Qingdao Branch has obtained the H-level certification from the Japan Steel Structure Manufacturers Association. The manufacturing of Japanese steel structures is divided into five levels from low to high: J, R, M, H, and S. Furthermore, some international companies have established branches in China, which is also beneficial for domestic steel structure manufacturers to undertake foreign projects. Moreover, the vast majority of these companies’ projects are overseas, but their processing and production are in China.
China’s steel production has been increasing year by year, and the variety of steel products is becoming more and more complete. High strength and special steel products are also gradually being produced. Compared with the international market, the price of steel in China is still relatively low, and it has a certain degree of competitiveness in the international market.
Steel structure manufacturers and enterprises occupy a place in the international market
Xue Fa said that from the situation of steel structure manufacturers and enterprises, it can be said from two aspects. On the one hand, exporting materials, raw materials, and components for deep processing. Many enterprises export deep processed plates, profiles, etc. For example, Beijing Duowei Steel Structure Factory Group exports color coated plates, color steel plate profiles, Sandwich board, composite floors, etc. to Britain, Japan, Singapore, Russia and other countries.
The H-beam produced by Ma’anshan Steel Company was exported to 4000 tons in South Korea and thousands of tons in India in 2016. The T-beam has been signed with Indonesia for several hundred tons. Baodu steel structure has an annual output of 80000 tons and is exported to dozens of countries such as Colombia, Burundi, Sudan and Iraq. The export of deeply processed plates, including ship plates, bridge plates, etc., is approximately 5 million tons annually along the southeast coast. Export complete sets of low-rise steel structure manufacturers’ residential buildings mainly to Africa and Russia. Export secondary processing equipment from steel structure manufacturers, such as Fain CNC.
On the other hand, contracting and constructing projects abroad. The main countries where Chinese steel structure manufacturers and enterprises undertake engineering projects abroad are Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and so on.
