Pump and valve industry: low-end product surplus high-precision products rely on imports
After decades of growth, China's pump and valve industry has largely achieved self-sufficiency in its core products and is now exporting a variety of goods. However, the sector still faces intense competition due to low-level homogeneity among companies and a prevalence of basic, low-end products. While many standard valves and pumps are produced domestically, high-precision and specialized equipment—such as those used in large nuclear power plants or major oil and gas pipelines—still depend heavily on imports. The entire industry is undergoing a transformation, shifting from quantitative expansion to qualitative development and sustainable growth. This insight was gathered by the reporter at the 2006 Second China (Yongjia) Valve & Pump Expo and Technology Innovation Report held in Yongjia County, Zhejiang Province—the recognized hometown of pumps and valves in China—on May 16–18.
As a key general-purpose mechanical product, pumps and valves are widely used across sectors such as power, chemicals, and steel. According to statistics, the pump and valve industry contributes more than 5% to the total output value of the machinery sector. Currently, there are nearly 10,000 manufacturers in China, with annual turnover exceeding 50 billion yuan. The industry has developed into several concentrated regional clusters, including Yongjia in Zhejiang, Longwan in Wenzhou, Suzhou in Jiangsu, and Xinyang in Henan. Yongjia, in particular, stands out as the largest and most diverse base for pump and valve manufacturing in the country. In 2005 alone, it generated an output value of 8.5 billion yuan and exported $150 million worth of products, capturing over 25% of the domestic market share.
Despite this progress, the industry still faces significant challenges. Many companies remain small in scale, lack specialization, and have limited technological innovation. Product quality and stability are often unsatisfactory, and the industrial and product structures are not well balanced. Industry integration is urgently needed. According to Wang Hanzhou, vice president of the Yongjia Pump and Valve Industry Association and chairman of Zhejiang Chaoda Valve Co., Ltd., the local industry is currently encountering four major obstacles: limited land resources that restrict expansion, a shortage of skilled professionals in technology, management, and foreign trade, a high degree of product homogenization, and underdeveloped supporting industries like raw materials and casting. To address these issues, stronger government and industry association coordination is essential, along with increased industry consolidation, brand building, and the development of leading pump and valve enterprises.
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