Machinery / Industrial Parts & Tools

The latest data from China Machine Tool Industry Association shows that my country is the world's largest abrasive and abrasive tool manufacturing and application market, and plays a very important role in the global industrial chain and supply chain.

Exports are increasing rapidly. In the first half of 2022, the export value of abrasive products was 1.424 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 20.59%. Although in the first half of the year, except for silicon carbide and other artificial corundum, the export volume of the other three types of products decreased by different degrees, but in terms of export value, except for abrasive tools, all kinds of products have increased by different degrees, which is mainly due to Affected by the continuous rise in the prices of major raw materials in the industry, the increase in product prices by enterprises and the fluctuation of exchange rates.

Compared with 2021, the exporting countries of the four main products have not changed, but the ranking order has changed to some extent. The demand for corundum and silicon carbide products in Japan both dropped significantly year-on-year; the import volume of silicon carbide products in the United States increased by 35.69% year-on-year, and the Netherlands, as the main distribution center of industrial products in Europe, the import volume of other artificial corundum increased by 67.1% year-on-year , which explains the reason for the increase in the export volume of silicon carbide and other artificial corundum in the first half of 2022; compared with abrasives, the export area of abrasive tools is still mainly in Southeast Asia, of which the export volume of abrasive tools to India still accounts for 24%, compared with 2021. Over the same period, the proportion was basically the same.

Imports fell. In the first half of 2022, the import value of abrasive products was US$110 million, a year-on-year decrease of 4.5%.

As a major producer of abrasives, my country's export value is 13 times the import value, which is a very significant trade surplus. Because the import volume is small, the fluctuation of various products is also relatively violent. It is worth noting that comparing the average prices of exports and imports, the average import prices of various products are higher than those of exports, which also shows that most of the imported products are high-end products, which further reflects that my country's abrasives industry is still in In the state of being big but not strong, some high-end products depend on imports. According to the forecasts of various parties, the signs of economic recession in Europe and the United States will become more obvious in the second half of 2022, and there is still great uncertainty as to whether the export recovery in June will be sustainable. More than 30% of the industry's products are used for export. It is hoped that all enterprises can take precautions, adhere to stability first, and maintain healthy development.

Guo Chunyang, chairman of the Abrasives Branch of China Machine Tool Industry Association, said that the prices of main raw materials represented by low-sulfur petroleum coke have soared recently, and the cost of all production links from abrasives to abrasives has continued to rise, forming a two-way squeeze on the industrial chain unfavorable situation. Internationally, the prices of various commodities have continued to rise, and inflation in major developed economies represented by the United States has become increasingly serious, which has also had a certain impact on the export situation and the recovery of the global industrial chain.

He said that most of the high-end abrasive products supporting the high-tech manufacturing industry still rely on imports, which reflects the fact that my country's abrasives industry lacks core technologies and is still dominated by low-end products. Enterprises in the industry should put innovation in the first place. Innovation is not only about technology research and development, but requires enterprises to make improvements based on the actual situation from the perspective of their own industrial chain.