On the afternoon of January 16th, the "2026 Jiangsu Steel Trading Development Conference", hosted by the Jiangsu Iron and Steel Industry Association, was convened grandly in Nanjing. Chen Leiming, Executive President and Secretary-General of the China National Association of Metal Material Trade(CAMT), was invited to participate in the conference and delivered a keynote speech entitled "The Path to 'Breaking the Impasse' for Steel Trading Enterprises".

Chen Leiming pointed out that at present, the fundamental logic underpinning domestic and international political, economic, and technological development has undergone a fundamental shift, and the same holds true for the fundamental logic governing the development of the steel industry. The industry is now in a phase of in-depth adjustment and restructuring. Steel trading companies must therefore constantly adapt to the evolving landscape, respond promptly to changes and pursue transformation. Only by proactively "breaking through the impasse" amid the "shifting landscape" can they maintain an invincible position.

Chen Leiming noted that all enterprises strive to grow into "towering trees". The growth logic of towering trees lies in "growing upward, converging inward, taking root downward, and expanding outward". Only with deep roots, flourishing branches, and lush leaves can they withstand the baptism of wind and rain. These sixteen characters are equally applicable to the innovative development of steel trading enterprises.

"Growing upward" refers to establishing deep collaborative and complementary industrial relationships with upstream steel enterprises; "converging inward" entails building a win-win industrial ecosystem among trading enterprises; "taking root downward" involves constructing a customer-centric service system; and "expanding outward" means forging a new development pattern rooted in the domestic market and integrated with the international arena.

Chen Leiming further offered a detailed analysis of the implementation pathways and specific practices for "growing upward, converging inward, taking root downward, and expanding outward", drawing on practical cases from industry development. He emphasized that the steel industry is evolving toward high-end, intelligent, green, and integrated directions. In the process of "breaking through the impasse", steel trading enterprises must attach great importance to leveraging technological tools such as the Internet, digitalization, and artificial intelligence. On the trajectory of green and low-carbon development, they should construct a modern steel supply chain featuring "digital intelligence, transparency, greenness, and internationalization", thereby reconstructing new business formats and a new ecosystem for steel trading.