New Strategy for Mineral Exploration: Eight Departments Release Action Plan for the Nonferrous Metals Industry

On September 28, 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Commerce, the People’s Bank of China, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the General Administration of Customs, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration jointly released the “Work Plan for Stable Growth in the Nonferrous Metal Industry (2025-2026).” This initiative aims to implement the guidance from the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the spirit of the Economic Work Conference, ensuring the stable operation and transformation of the nonferrous metal sector.

The plan sets a target for the nonferrous metal industry’s value added to grow by approximately 5% annually from 2025 to 2026. It also aims to maintain favorable economic performance, with the annual production of ten major nonferrous metals increasing by around 1.5%. Progress is expected in the development of domestic resources such as copper, aluminum, and lithium, while the output of recycled metals is projected to surpass 20 million tons. Furthermore, the capacity for high-end product supply and the levels of green, low-carbon, and digital development are anticipated to improve continuously.

The “Work Plan” outlines five key initiatives:

1. Promote Efficient Resource Utilization: This includes implementing a new round of exploration strategies and supporting the development of green and efficient technologies for low-grade and difficult-to-process resources. The plan also emphasizes the comprehensive utilization of waste copper and aluminum, along with the recycling of emerging solid wastes such as used power batteries and old photovoltaic panels.
2. Enhance Industrial Technological Innovation: The focus will be on high-quality raw materials, including ultra-pure metals and high-end rare earth materials. The plan aims to guide enterprises in improving product quality and supports the construction of pilot platforms for new materials and low-carbon smelting processes.
3. Expand Effective Investment: Accelerating the construction of mineral resource development projects is a priority. The plan encourages the strategic layout of projects related to alumina, copper smelting, and lithium carbonate, while promoting energy-saving and pollution-reducing transformations in the relevant industries.
4. Stimulate Consumption Demand: The plan aims to enhance the consumption of bulk metals and expand the application of high-end aluminum, copper, and magnesium alloys. It also seeks to elevate the application level of rare metals and foster new market development through innovative applications in emerging industries.
5. Deepen Open Cooperation: The plan will support enterprises in responding to unreasonable foreign trade restrictions and guide compliance for the export of high-end new materials. It also emphasizes the importance of international cooperation in the construction of overseas nonferrous metal projects and trade cooperation zones.

Moving forward, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will coordinate with relevant departments to strengthen collaboration, enhance policy support, and ensure the effective implementation of these initiatives to better support stable growth in the nonferrous metal industry.

The complete document titled “Work Plan for Stable Growth in the Nonferrous Metal Industry (2025-2026)” has been distributed to relevant provincial and municipal departments to ensure local implementation.