Baotou achieved a 16.5% increase in industrial added value above the designated size for the first quarter of 2024, recording a two-digit growth for 43 consecutive months, with rare earth and crystalline silicon photovoltaic sector together contributing a 14.5 percentage points rise in industrial added value, according to official data.

During the first quarter, nearly 70% of the city's major industrial products achieved positive growth in production, of which, polysilicon increased by 52.7%, monocrystalline silicon increased by 85.8%, rare earth ore increased by 16.0%, iron ore concentrate increased by 54.7%, and rare earth metals increased by 39.6%, all compared with the prior year period.