From May 26th to 28th, the 20th China International Metallurgical Industry Exhibition, co-organized by the China Iron and Steel Association and the Metallurgical Industry Branch of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, was held at the Shanghai *** Convention and Exhibition Center. The 16th China International Refractory Materials and Industrial Ceramics Exhibition, the 19th China International Industrial Furnaces and Thermal Technology Industry Exhibition, the China International Fluid Machinery Exhibition, the 19th China International Foundry Expo, the 15th China International Diecasting Industry Exhibition, and the 15th International Nonferrous and Specialty Casting Exhibition were held concurrently.

Liu Baikuan, Vice Chairman of the China Refractories Association and Chairman of Punai Co., Ltd., was invited to attend the 16th China International Refractory Materials and Industrial Ceramics Exhibition and the Summit Forum on the Modernization and Coordinated Development of the Refractory Industry Chain. He was accompanied by Shi Daoming, Vice Chairman of Punai Co., Ltd., and Vice Presidents Ma Wenpeng and Liu Lianbing.

At 10:00 a.m. on May 26th, at the opening ceremony, He Wenbo, Secretary of the Party Committee and Executive Chairman of the China Iron and Steel Association, and other leaders delivered speeches and cut the ribbon. Exhibitors and online and offline visitors witnessed and celebrated the opening of the exhibition. Liu Baikuan, Chairman of Punai Co., Ltd., was invited to attend the opening ceremony of this year’s exhibition. He was then interviewed by Ms. Zhu Xiaoguang of the Metallurgical Industry Branch of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) regarding Punai Co., Ltd.’s goals for participating in the Metallurgical Exhibition, the key points of its booth, and its expectations for the next exhibition.

Our Steel, Raw Materials, and Environmental Refractory Divisions jointly participated in the exhibition, with representatives from the Group headquarters and subsidiaries including Zhengzhou Huawei, Shanghai Baoming, Yushan Metallurgy, Zhengzhou Huite, and Qinghai Punai participating. Punai Co., Ltd.’s key exhibits, including large-crystal fused magnesia, high-purity light-burned magnesia powder, air bricks, three-piece components, and a display cabinet for converter slag gate valves, attracted significant attention and received widespread acclaim from visitors and refractory industry professionals.

Concurrently with the exhibition, the Refractory Associations of Henan, Liaoning, Shandong, Shanxi, Zhejiang, and Guizhou Provinces jointly held the “Summit Forum on the Modernization and Collaborative Development of the Refractory Industry Chain” at the exhibition venue on the 27th, along with the China Iron and Steel Association and the Metallurgical Industry Branch of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. The conference, aligning with my country’s carbon peak and green environmental policy requirements, seized the significant historical opportunity of vigorously developing the new materials industry and fulfilled the industry’s aspirations to build a complete industrial chain and increase concentration. Focusing on hot topics, Chief Executive Officer Gan Feifang, Professors Li Yong, Li Yawei, and Executive Chairman Li Yongquan delivered presentations and engaged in interactive discussions around the conference theme. Special guests included Qi Bin, Deputy Director of the Marketing Department of the China Iron and Steel Association, Liu Baikuan, Chairman of PRCC, Zhao Jizeng, Chairman of Beijing Lier, Bo Jun, General Manager of Sinosteel Luoyang Refractories Research Institute, and Gao Changhe, General Manager of Beijing Tongda, who engaged in discussions with participating company representatives on the development of the refractory industry in a low-carbon economy.

The conference was a grand occasion for companies in the refractory and steel, related raw materials, and equipment industries to discuss cooperation and engage in in-depth exchanges. Guests highlighted several shortcomings in the industry, including the need for improved self-discipline, widespread vicious price competition, irrational bidding mechanisms, low overall profit margins, and the need for further regulation of the entire upstream and downstream industrial chain. Since the fourth quarter of 2020, the sharp rise in refractory raw material prices has led to operational difficulties for refractory companies in 2021. Under these circumstances, refractory companies should prioritize profitability, remain calm, and pursue healthy development. Optimistically, steel mills will choose products from companies with strong overall strengths, including technological advancement, scale, environmental protection, and technical support. With growing market demand and the emergence and exploration of more and newer customer needs, the industry still faces broad long-term development prospects.