Entering the second quarter of 2026, China's aluminum profile industry is undergoing profound structural transformation. Driven by the "dual carbon" strategy and global energy transition, this traditional industry, once dominated by construction profiles, has successfully transformed into a key material cornerstone supporting the new energy revolution and high-end manufacturing, officially entering a new cycle of high-quality development.

Institutional dividends at the policy level continue to be released. In May this year, the Implementation Plan for High-Quality Development of the Aluminum Industry (2025-2027), jointly issued by ten ministries including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, was officially implemented, clearly setting hard targets of reaching 15 million tons of recycled aluminum output and increasing the self-sufficiency rate of high-end aluminum alloy materials to 90% by 2027, drawing a clear roadmap for industry development. Meanwhile, the in-depth advancement of the Work Plan for Stable Growth of the Non-Ferrous Metals Industry further guides the compliant export of deep-processed products, providing strong policy support for aluminum profile enterprises to expand international markets.

A historic turning point is taking place in the market structure. Data shows that in 2026, the demand share of traditional construction sectors for aluminum profiles has dropped below 50%, while the demand share of emerging sectors such as photovoltaics, new energy vehicles, and high-end equipment manufacturing has exceeded 50% for the first time, completely rewriting the industry's attributes. Aluminum's core advantages—light weight, high conductivity, and 100% recyclability—perfectly align with the core demands of current industrial upgrading: approximately 5,000 tons of aluminum profiles are consumed per GW of photovoltaic installed capacity, and aluminum consumption per new energy vehicle continues to rise. These two trillion-level tracks are becoming the core growth poles driving aluminum profile demand.

Export markets are embracing structural opportunities. From January to April 2026, China's exports of unwrought aluminum and aluminum products reached 2.053 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 8.9%. The continuous expansion of the price gap between domestic and international markets, coupled with the zero-tariff policy advantage for aluminum profile processed products, has made deeply processed aluminum products the best carrier for China's aluminum industry to "go global." Notably, the United States lowered tariffs on some steel, aluminum, and copper products starting June 8, reducing the original 25% tariff to 15%. This policy adjustment directly benefits China's high-end aluminum profile exports to the US, with orders, quotations, and gross profit margins of related enterprises rising simultaneously. The China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association predicts that China's aluminum product exports are expected to hit a record high in 2026.

Green and low-carbon development has become the industry access threshold. With the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) officially entering its implementation phase in January this year, carbon costs are reshaping the global aluminum industry's competitive landscape. Primary aluminum generates as much as 13-15 tons of carbon emissions per ton, while recycled aluminum only generates about 0.5-1 ton. This huge difference makes recycled aluminum the core path for enterprises to 应对 carbon tariffs. As of 2026, the proportion of recycled aluminum used by leading industry enterprises has generally exceeded 30%, and some leading enterprises have set an annual target of 35%. Meanwhile, green manufacturing technologies such as chromium-free surface treatment, waste heat recovery systems, and full-process energy consumption monitoring are accelerating their popularization, and the industry's energy utilization rate has increased to over 75%.

Technological innovation drives industrial value enhancement. Breakthroughs in digital extrusion and precision mold technology have controlled high-end profile dimensional tolerances within ±0.05mm, exceeding national high-precision grade requirements; functional coating technology is evolving from "10-year warranty" to "20 years without fading or chalking"; intelligent transformations such as AI quality inspection, digital twin factories, and blockchain traceability systems have pushed the industry yield rate to over 93%. The transformation from "extensive extrusion" to "precision, one-stop finished product delivery" is reshaping the core competitiveness of aluminum profile enterprises.