An aerial view of Tsingtuo Group's 100-billion-yuan stainless steel and new materials industrial cluster. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Ningde, Fujian province, posted 6.6% economic growth in the first half of 2026, with GDP reaching 219.25 billion yuan ($32.51 billion), the fastest growth rate among all cities in the province. Industry contributed 4.3 percentage points to GDP growth and was a key driver of economic expansion.

Four major industrial clusters — lithium batteries and new energy, new energy vehicles, stainless steel and copper materials — recorded 343.4 billion yuan in output, up 17.9 percent from a year earlier and representing 85.5 percent of the city's total industrial output.

Their combined value added grew 12.1 percent, contributing 10.2 percentage points to the growth of value added among industrial enterprises above the designated size.

In Fu'an, stainless steel producer Tsingtuo Group posted more than 230 billion yuan in output in 2025 and has attracted more than 90 upstream and downstream companies, helping form a stainless steel industrial chain.

Ningde has also sought to address gaps in key supply chains. It brought in copper foil maker Jiayuan Technology from Meizhou, Guangdong province, to shore up the lithium battery supply chain.

Zherong county's traditional knives and scissors industry offers a wide range of products. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Traditional sectors are also undergoing transformation. In Zherong county, 92 manufacturers of knives and scissors have been consolidated into standardized enterprises as part of an industrial relocation program and digital upgrades. Nine out of every 10 carbon-steel scissors made nationwide are produced in Zherong.