The 2026 (15th) China Construction Steel Industry Chain Conference was recently held in Chengdu, co-hosted by Sichuan Yekong Group and Shanghai SteelLink. In his opening remarks, Liu Yiteng, Chairman of Yekong Group, stated that the steel industry is shifting from scale expansion to optimization of existing capacity, and that inclusion in the carbon market in 2028 will make green and low-carbon development a mandatory requirement. As China’s first 10-million-metric-ton-scale electric arc furnace (EAF) short-process steelmaker using 100% scrap, Yekong reduces annual carbon dioxide emissions by over 16 million metric tons. Moving forward, the company will focus on the goal of becoming a “zero-carbon factory,” deepen its unified operations, strive to achieve 8 million metric tons in unified-brand sales by 2026, build the “Yekong Green Steel” brand, and aim to become a leading supplier of green steel and a partner in the low-carbon transition.

The conference featured a wealth of expert insights. Shi Hongwei of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce Metallurgical Chamber of Commerce outlined the nine key tasks and eight major projects of the “15th Five-Year Plan”; Zhou Mi of the Ministry of Commerce pointed out that the structure of domestic demand is shifting toward service consumption and the county-level economy, requiring steel companies to expand into emerging applications; Zhong Shaoliang of the World Steel Association predicted that the growth in global demand will shift to India and Southeast Asia, with the two regions combined accounting for over 400 million metric tons; Peng Xinliang of the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing revealed that green supply chains for central state-owned enterprises have been elevated from a voluntary initiative to a mandatory performance metric. In the scrap steel sector, Wang Fangjie recommended increasing the proportion of immediate tax refunds, which could reduce scrap usage costs by approximately 30 yuan per metric ton and decrease reliance on iron ore; Cui Xiaodong noted that enterprises face four types of carbon-related costs; Wang Jianhua of Sinosteel predicted that steel prices in the second half of the year may first decline before rebounding, and cautioned that inventory risks warrant vigilance.

The conference also featured a special session on scrap steel and a signing ceremony for strategic cooperation in the Sichuan-Chongqing region, as well as a roundtable forum for in-depth discussions on macroeconomic cycles, futures and spot market strategies, and price trends. In addition, Shanghai SteelLink signed strategic cooperation agreements with China Construction E-Commerce and Yekong Group; the three parties will work together to promote synergy, mutual benefit, and high-quality development across the industrial chain. This conference served as an important barometer for the steel industry’s green transition, response to carbon constraints, and regional resource integration.