There are still some issues in China’s ANSI-standard valve industry

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In China’s current valve market, aside from low-pressure valves which have reached levels acceptable in the international market, valves that meet American standards still rely on imports. Against the backdrop of a continuously positive macroeconomic environment, most companies in the valve industry saw rapid growth in their production and sales figures. However, due to price wars, the industry’s sales revenue and profits declined significantly compared to the same period last year. As the world economy recovers, the import and export of valve products in our country have also increased. However, due to the significant gap in advanced technology compared to foreign manufacturers, product technology will remain a bottleneck restricting the development of valve products in our country for some time to come. In terms of product offerings, China’s valve industry is currently capable of producing more than a dozen different types of valves, such as gate valves, globe valves, ball valves, butterfly valves, safety valves, check valves, throttle valves, plug valves, pressure relief valves, diaphragm valves, steam traps, and emergency shut-off valves. The maximum operating temperature for these valves is 570°C, while the minimum is -196°C. The maximum pressure they can handle is 600 MPa, and the largest diameter they can achieve is 5350 millimeters. Furthermore, according to statistics from relevant authorities, China’s valve market generates annual turnover of around 50 billion yuan, of which more than 10 billion yuan goes to foreign valve manufacturers. Valves are essential fluid control devices in various sectors of the national economy, including petroleum, chemical industry, power plants, long-distance pipelines, shipbuilding, nuclear industry, various cryogenic applications, aerospace, and offshore oil drilling. After years of development, China has the largest number of valve manufacturers in the world, with over 6,000 such enterprises of various sizes; among them, 900 have an annual output value of more than 5 million yuan. At present, the valve industry in our country still faces certain issues; for example, most valve manufacturers in China are small-scale enterprises operating on a household workshop basis at a low level. In terms of products, due to repeated investments and insufficient technology adoption, the main products of China’s valve manufacturers remain low-quality, mass-market products. At present, the various valves produced by enterprises in our country suffer from various drawbacks such as external and internal leakage, poor appearance quality, short lifespan, inflexible operation, as well as unreliable electric and pneumatic actuation systems. Some of these products are only at the international standard level of the early 1980s, and valves required for high-temperature, high-pressure applications and critical systems still rely on imports. China’s valve industry lags far behind foreign companies in terms of industrial structure, the value chain of the valve manufacturing sector, and the level of specialization within this industry. The reason for the low quality of domestic valve products is that, due to the rapid expansion of the market, many existing state-owned valve manufacturers shut down or were restructured. Although a number of township enterprises developed rapidly, they started from a weak foundation, had very limited technical capabilities, and used simple equipment; most of their products were produced through imitation. The problem is especially severe regarding low-pressure valves used in water supply and drainage systems. However, these issues do not affect the bright prospects for China’s valve industry in the future. This is mainly attributed to **policy support and strong demand in the valve product market; in particular, the commencement of several major projects such as the West-to-East Gas Pipeline, West-to-East Power Transmission, and South-to-North Water Diversion requires a large quantity of valve products. Furthermore, our country is facing the advent of the industrial era, and major sectors that rely heavily on valves, such as the petrochemical industry, power industry, metallurgy industry, chemical industry, and urban construction, will see an increased demand for valve products. For example, during the 11th Five-Year Plan period in the power industry, the total demand for valves required for large and medium-sized coal-fired power plant projects was estimated to be 153,000 tons, with an average annual demand of 30,600 tons ； The total demand for valves is 3.96 billion yuan, with an average annual demand of 792 million yuan. Furthermore, China is gradually becoming the world’s largest manufacturing hub, and there is significant potential for further development in the processing of valve products. It is evident that as long as companies are able to seize opportunities, enhance their R&D capabilities, and continuously improve the technological level and quality of their products, they can gain an advantage in the fierce market competition.