According to CTIA GROUP, information from the Baotou Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology shows that from January to April 2026, Baotou’s economy maintained steady progress, with industrial economy showing stable pressure and steady advancement. The industrial added value of enterprises above designated size increased by 7.5% year-on-year, accelerating by 0.1 percentage points compared with the first quarter.
From January to April, among 34 major industry categories, the added value of 20 industries maintained growth, with a growth coverage of 58.8%. Among them, the chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing industry, represented by rare earths, increased its added value by 1.1 times, contributing 6.1 percentage points to the growth of industrial output above designated size.
From January to April, the output of non-ferrous metals showed good growth momentum. Among the 29 key monitored products in Baotou, the output of 10 products increased year-on-year, with single rare earth metals and aluminum increasing by 58.2% and 60.0%, respectively.
From January to April, rare earths, aluminum, and equipment manufacturing provided multiple points of support. The added values of the aluminum, equipment, and rare earth industries increased by 10.7%, 41.4%, and 46.6%, respectively, rising 34.3, 5.7, and 18.4 percentage points compared with the same period, together contributing 10 percentage points to the growth of industrial output above designated size.
From January to April, high technology empowered new progress. The added value of high-technology manufacturing increased by 69.0%, up 2.6 percentage points compared with the first quarter, accounting for 6.2% of industrial output above designated size, up 2.5 percentage points compared with the same period, contributing 2.4 percentage points to the growth of industrial output above designated size.
The Baiyunebo Mine in Baotou is known as the “World Rare Earth Capital” and is the world’s largest light rare earth deposit. It is a polymetallic co-associated deposit, rich in rare earths, iron, niobium, and other elements. The mining area is approximately 16 kilometers long from east to west and 2–3 kilometers wide from north to south. Currently, at the beginning of the “15th Five-Year Plan,” Baotou is focusing on building the “1144” modern industrial system, advancing the construction of the “two rare earth bases,” and steadily progressing toward the goal of basically establishing the largest rare earth new materials base in China and a globally leading rare earth application base.
