Driven by both manufacturing upgrades and the expansion of downstream applications, China's custom sheet metal housing industry has shown steady growth in recent years. In 2024, the industry's overall output reached approximately 18.75 million tons, a 7.6% increase from 17.43 million tons in 2023, reflecting the continued expansion of market demand and the capacity improvement of manufacturing enterprises. Major companies in the industry are also continuously optimizing their product structures to meet the diverse needs of different end customers for precision, materials, and processes.
In terms of regional distribution, East China remains the main production base for custom sheet metal housings, accounting for 39% of the total output in 2024, with Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces contributing 18% and 14% respectively. South China follows closely behind, with Guangdong Province, a major center for electronic equipment manufacturing, driving the development of its local sheet metal processing industry, accounting for 17% of the national output in 2024. North China benefited from the support of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development policy. Demand for high-end equipment manufacturing in Beijing and Tianjin drove technological upgrades in the sheet metal enclosure industry, accounting for approximately 12% of total annual output.
Regarding exports, overseas sales of Chinese customized sheet metal enclosure products reached 4.1 million tons in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 6.2%. Southeast Asia was the main growth driver, with Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia accounting for over 35% of total orders. Stable demand in North America and Europe also supported the expansion of exports, with the US and Germany accounting for 14% and 11% of total exports, respectively.
With the continued advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative, the penetration rate of Chinese sheet metal enclosure products in the Middle East and Africa is expected to further increase in the coming years.
In terms of price trends, affected by fluctuations in raw material costs, the average ex-factory price of customized sheet metal enclosures increased by 4.8% year-on-year in 2024, reaching RMB 4,260 per ton. The price increase for cold-rolled steel sheet products with a thickness between 1.0mm and 2.0mm was relatively moderate, remaining around RMB 4,100 per ton; while the price of stainless steel sheet metal casings used in precision instruments or special environments rose to over RMB 5,800 per ton, indicating stronger price elasticity in the high-end segment.
Analyzing downstream application structures, the communication equipment industry remained the largest user of customized sheet metal casings in 2024, accounting for 28%. The rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry also brought new growth momentum, with sheet metal casing procurement in this sector increasing by 12% year-on-year in 2024, raising its share of total industry sales to 19%. Demand from industrial automation equipment, medical equipment, and rail transportation industries also maintained good growth momentum, accounting for 15%, 11%, and 9% of the market share, respectively.
