Overview of mineral resources situation of China in 2025 and outlook

In 2025, the global economy experienced resilient growth alongside development risks. Authoritative institutions forecast global economic growth at 3.2%, with a projected slowdown to 2.9% in 2026. Against the backdrop of the rising global artificial intelligence industry wave, escalating geopolitical tensions, and intensifying trade protectionism, the global mining market remained stable with slight growth. Investor confidence in the mining market improved significantly, while international mineral product prices experience sharp fluctuations and significant divergence. Faced with a more complex and severe international environment, China’s economy withstood pressure and achieved stable progress. China’s mining market continues its steady and positive trend, reflect in the following aspects: the national exploration and development of mineral resources has been strengthened; the investments in geological exploration, fixed asset investment and value-added output in the mining industry have showing sustained growth. Production of major mineral products is steady, with growth in ten non-ferrous metals, phosphate rock, and others. Energy supply security continues to improve, with coal, crude oil, and natural gas production reaching record highs. The transition to greener energy accelerates, with clean energy installed capacity continuously expanding and its share in primary energy consumption increasing. Mineral product trade volume remains high, accounting for approximately one-quarter of the nation’s total commodity trade. The external dependence on bulk mineral products remains high, with rates for petroleum, natural gas, and iron ore at 72.2%, 40.3%, and 80.9%, respectively. The mining industry’s economic and political influence continues to grow, with the profits from mining and processing industries nearly 40% of the industrial enterprise profits, and mineral product imports constituting over 40% of total import value of commodities. Therefore, at the national strategic security level, it should pay more attention to the mining market, activate the mineral resources exploration market by deepening the social service of geological data, and utilize “AI + geological data” to empower the transfer of mineral exploration rights, so as to ensure the mineral resources supply chain and national security.