A Summary Overview of the 2020 China Titanium Industry Development Report

In 2020, China’s sponge titanium production capacity increased by 12.0% compared to 2019, reaching 177,000 tons.
The top three sponge titanium producers all expanded capacity in 2020; notably, Luoyang Shuangrui Wanjit Titanium Industry Co., Ltd. added 10,000 tons of new capacity.
The overall operating rate of the domestic sponge titanium industry exceeded 70%.
Based on data from 33 titanium ingot producers, China’s titanium ingot capacity increased 11.8% year-on-year to 199,000 tons, mainly due to new melting equipment installed by Xinjiang Xiangsheng and Yunnan Titanium.

Titanium concentrate output: 6.33 million tons, up 32.7%;
- Panzhihua–Xichang region produced 5.11 million tons, accounting for 80.7% of total domestic production.
- Imported titanium concentrate reached 3.01 million tons, up 15.3%.
Sponge titanium output: 122,958 tons, up 44.9% from 2019 (84,884 tons), marking the sixth consecutive year of growth.
Titanium ingot output: 119,937 tons, up 35.2% from 2019 (88,704 tons).
Titanium processed materials: 97,029 tons, up 28.9% from 2019 (75,265 tons).

Production of titanium & titanium alloy plates increased 47.5%, accounting for 59.2% of total titanium materials; titanium coils represented more than half of this segment.
Bar production increased 16.9%, accounting for 16.0% of total titanium materials.
Tube production decreased 6.5%, accounting for 9.8%.
Forging production increased 7.3%, accounting for 5.8%.
Titanium wire experienced the fastest growth at 55.5%; other titanium products grew 11.2%.

Total sponge titanium sales: 122,958 tons; net export: -4,175 tons; domestic consumption: 127,133 tons, up 39.7%.
Total titanium materials sales: 93,596 tons; net export: 9,107 tons; domestic consumption: 84,489 tons, up 50.7%.

The Guidelines for New Material Development propose stable supply of advanced basic materials (including titanium alloys) and more than 70% strategic material self-sufficiency.
Titanium and titanium alloy products were included in the 2019 Industrial Structure Adjustment Catalogue issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

After nearly 10 years of transformation, China’s sponge titanium industry entered a period of explosive growth in 2020.
The industry now features major state-owned leaders such as:
- Baoti Group
- Western Superconducting Technologies
- Hunan Xiangtou Jinzhou Titanium
- Western Materials Technology
Meanwhile, private companies—Xinjiang Xiangrun New Materials, Chongqing Jinshili Aviation Materials, Shaanxi Tiancheng Aviation Materials—achieved breakthroughs in specialized segments.
Structural upgrading is showing results: demand is shifting from traditional low-end uses (chemical, metallurgy, salt-making) to mid- and high-end sectors like defense, PTA, and marine engineering, with profits gradually concentrating in high-end military-related applications.

Despite global COVID-19 challenges, China’s titanium enterprises continued to grow.
Large and mid-sized companies achieved significant increases in market share and profits through technological innovation and market expansion.
Production capacity, output, and net profit reached the best levels in the past decade.
Under the “Belt and Road” and military–civil fusion strategies, high-end demand for titanium grew rapidly, with average growth exceeding 20%.

Driven by national support for innovation and domestic economic circulation, titanium material demand rose 50.7% year-on-year.
Except the medical sector (slightly impacted by COVID-19), all industries saw growth.
Largest increases in titanium use:
- Chemical (PTA): +1,223 tons
- Aerospace: +4,628 tons
- Marine Engineering: +4,078 tons
- Shipbuilding: +988 tons
- Power: +525 tons

Raw materials for sponge titanium production rely heavily on imports; with rising demand for aerospace-grade sponge titanium, military sectors require higher stability and quality.
Mining and smelting processes still need improvement.
Titanium processed materials require higher quality and consistency.
Production processes in some enterprises are outdated.
High technical barriers persist across the industry.