China Certifies 78 Products as “Quality AM Products” Under 2025 Industry Initiative

On December 24, the China Additive Manufacturing Industry Alliance and the National Additive Manufacturing Product Quality Supervision and Testing Center (Jiangsu) officially announced the “2025 China Additive Manufacturing Quality Product List” in Xiong’an New Area, Hebei Province. A total of 78 products were certified: 32 materials, 28 3D printers, 12 components, and 6 solutions. The announcement explicitly states its purpose as “implementing the 14th Five-Year Plan and the 2035 Vision Outline, implementing the Special Action Plan for Consumption Promotion, and accelerating new industrialization.”

Two National Policies and the AM Industry

To understand this announcement, it’s essential to understand the background of two national policies.

What is the 14th Five-Year Plan?

China’s national-level economic and social development plan covering the five-year period from 2021 to 2025. Additive manufacturing is clearly positioned as a “strategic emerging industry” and designated as a key field for enhancing manufacturing core competitiveness and technological transformation.

Additive manufacturing first appeared in national planning during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), and its importance increased further in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). Guangdong Province has set a goal to build a “laser and additive manufacturing industrial cluster” worth 180 billion yuan by 2025, and other provinces have also established specific development targets.

What is the Special Action Plan for Consumption Promotion?

A consumption expansion policy by the Chinese government that began in earnest in 2024. “Vigorously Boosting Consumption” was placed at the top of priority tasks at the Central Economic Work Conference, aiming for economic growth through domestic demand expansion.

Main measures include “trade-in programs,” improving the quality of domestically produced goods, and increasing quality supply. In 2024, 150 billion yuan in ultra-long-term special treasury bonds were invested, creating over 1.3 trillion yuan in consumption for automobiles, home appliances, and home renovation. An additional 300 billion yuan in treasury bond support is planned for 2025.

Positioning of This Announcement

This “Quality Product List” announcement is believed to be an initiative linking these two policies. By having the state certify the quality of additive manufacturing—positioned as a strategic industry in the 14th Five-Year Plan—and presenting it as a concrete example of “increasing quality supply” in the consumption promotion policy, it may serve as a purchasing guideline for domestic and international companies and research institutions. As products that have undergone review by government-affiliated organizations, they are expected to serve a quality assurance role.

Process Leading to the Announcement

The public announcement began on December 15 and ended on December 19 after a five-business-day public comment period. The official announcement was made on December 24 at the “2025 Additive Manufacturing Industry Development Forum and Industry Annual Meeting” held in Xiong’an New Area, Hebei Province.

The event was hosted by the Equipment Industry Development Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Xiong’an New Area Management Committee, and organized by the China Additive Manufacturing Industry Alliance and the Xiong’an New Area Bureau of Industry, Information Technology, Science and Technology Data, among others. More than 300 participants attended from government, enterprises, universities, and research institutions.The review process consists of four stages: company application, formal review, credit review, and expert review.

Breakdown of 78 Products

The breakdown of the 78 certified products is as follows:

Materials (32 products, 41%)

• Titanium alloy powders: TC4, Ti64, etc.
• Aluminum alloys: ER7075, ER2319C, ER6061, etc.
• Superalloys: In738, GH3230, AlMgErZr, etc.
• Copper alloys: CuCrZr, CoCrW
• Steel materials: mold steel, stainless steel, wire materials
• Polymer materials: PA12, PA6, PEEK, photosensitive resins, etc.

3D Printers (28 products, 36%)

• PBF (Powder Bed Fusion): SLM/EBM for metals, SLS for polymers
• Binder Jetting
• DED (Directed Energy Deposition)
• SLA (Stereolithography)

Components (12 products, 15%)

• Software: CAM, path planning, data processing
• Lasers: ring spot series, high-brightness single-mode
• Galvanometer systems: extrascan IV
• Melt pool cameras: TARDIS IGNIS MP200

Solutions (6 products, 8%)

• Industry-specific solutions (casting/metal/ceramics, aerospace, medical, etc.)

Materials represent the largest category with 32 products (41%), surpassing 3D printers (28 products, 36%). This demonstrates that in the evolution of AM technology, not only equipment development but also the development of suitable materials is key to industrial development. Additionally, the presence of companies certified across multiple categories demonstrates the high competitiveness of vertically integrated companies.

Major Certified Companies

Focusing on internationally recognized companies:

Xi’an Bright Laser Technologies (BLT)
World’s 2nd largest metal AM manufacturer. 5 products certified (1 material, 1 software, 2 3D printers, 1 solution)

Hunan Farsoon High-Technology (Farsoon)
World’s 7th largest. 2 products certified

Hangzhou Eplus3D (Eplus3D)
World’s 9th largest. 2 products certified

Shanghai TPM3D Technology (TPM3D)
SLS specialist manufacturer. 5 products certified (3 materials, 1 component, 1 3D printer)

Nanjing Enigma
Most certifications with 6 products (4 materials, 1 component, 1 3D printer)

Gongxiang Intelligent Equipment (Anhui)
3 products certified (1 material, 1 3D printer, 1 solution)

Suzhou Boli New Material Technology(PollyPolymer)
5 products certified (3 materials, 1 3D printer, 1 solution)

Current State of China’s AM Industry

In 2024, China’s AM industry surpassed 50 billion yuan (approximately 1 trillion yen). This represents significant growth from 33 billion yuan in 2022, and compared to 1 billion yuan in 2012, it has expanded 33-fold in 10 years.

The number of companies exceeds 1,000, with 22 listed companies and 42 companies with revenues exceeding 100 million yuan. It is expected to be positioned as a priority development field in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) as well.Simultaneously with the announcement, the compilation of the “China Additive Manufacturing Industry Yearbook (2026)” was also announced.

Analysis

National policies in China are being steadily implemented. Just four years after positioning additive manufacturing as a strategic industry in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), the country has reached the stage of certifying 78 products.

This execution speed contrasts sharply with other countries where policies can change with regime transitions. In Japan too, industrial policies are formulated, but priorities shift when leadership changes. Private companies constantly face uncertainty about whether 5 or 10-year strategies will truly be completed.So, how much should private companies trust national strategies? What constitutes a trustworthy nation? These questions have extremely practical significance for investment decisions in the AM industry. Corporate strategies naturally differ between markets where policy continuity is expected and markets with policy change risks. This perspective is essential for understanding the future of Asia’s AM industry.