China's steel industry has seen an optimized product structure during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), with high-end steel products increasingly used in automobiles, home appliances, infrastructure and construction, according to the China Iron and Steel Association.

Jiang Wei, vice president of the association, said on Friday that the share of steel used in the manufacturing sector rose from 42 percent in 2020 to 50 percent in 2024—and is expected to exceed 50 percent in 2025.

The proportion of steel utilized in the construction sector fell from 58 percent in 2020 to 50 percent in 2024, Jiang added.

Over the past five years, research concerning and production of high-end steel products have gathered pace. For instance, the output of silicon steel, one of the most representative high-end products, reached about 18 million tonnes in 2024—up 48 percent from 2020.

The shift of China's economy toward higher-quality and greener growth has fueled demand for advanced and eco-friendly steel products and created vast space and promising prospects for the industry's upgrading, Jiang explained.

Going forward, China will step up efforts to advance research and development initiatives regarding high-end and cutting-edge steel products, and further expand the application of steel materials across sectors, Jiang said.