Production and operation characteristics of refractory industry

1. Refractory material output continued to decline. Refractory output in 2016 continued the downward trend in 2015, a decrease of 8.56%. The main reason for the decline in refractories output is the rapid and drastic reduction in the market demand for infrastructure projects. For example, Steel Association statistics member enterprises in 2016 cumulative investment fell 31.41%, resulting in the rapid shrinking demand for refractory materials for infrastructure projects. From the output of refractory products, silicon brick output decreased the most, down as high as 37.59%; high alumina refractory and clay refractory were down more than 10%.

2. The export trade situation is grim. In 2016, the total export volume of refractory industry raw materials and products fell to its lowest level in the past five years, only 2.565 billion us dollars, down 11.62%.

3. The import of refractory raw material have increased. In 2016, the total imports of refractory raw materials and products amounted to 324,900 tons, an increase of 17.54%. Among them, imports of refractory raw materials amounted to 305,800 tons, an increase of 17.78%; imports of furnace refractory products amounted to 19,100 tons, an increase of 13.92%.