Baowu

In 1978, as part of the Chinese government's reform and opening, Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping sought to develop large-scale steel production in China.[14] The government planned for a large integrated steel production facility to be located near the port of Shanghai, in Baoshan District, a suburb of Shanghai.[14] In 1978, a delegation from the Chinese government, including Deng Xiaoping himself, visited a steel mill operated by Nippon Steel to learn how to construct such a large facility.[14] As the government's flagship steel company, Baoshan Iron and Steel as it was originally called, benefitted from acquiring the engineers and managers, access to technology, and receiving government contracts.[15]

Initially, the firm limited its exports to just 10% of steel production, hoping to fulfill domestic demand.[14]

Baoshan Iron and Steel also benefitted from the Chinese economic expansion which consumed all the steel available. However, with the continuing liberalization of the Chinese economy, Baoshan found itself in competition with new rivals, both foreign and domestic. By the late 1990s, the company removed its cap on steel exports;[14] it scored notable success in South Korea. Although hurt by the Asian financial crisis, Baoshan pushed through with a merger of other money losing state owned enterprises, though it had managed to remain profitable itself.

On November 17, 1998, the former Baoshan Iron and Steel (Group) Corporation absorbed the Shanghai Metallurgical Holding Group Corporation (上海冶金控股集团公司) and the "Shanghai Meishan Group" (上海梅山集团公司) to form Shanghai Baosteel Group Corporation. The new conglomerate was the largest steel producer in the country with annual steel production of nearly 20 million tons. Since then, the strategy of Baosteel Group has been to expand production capacity in iron and steel, achieve vertical integration along the value chain, and acquire related industries.[16]

In 1997, a subsidiary of Shanghai Metallurgical Holding, the former Shanghai No.3 Iron and Steel Plant, Shanghai Pudong Iron and Steel, formed a joint venture with ThyssenKrupp of Germany, as Shanghai Krupp Stainless.[17] It followed the parent company to become a subsidiary of Baosteel Group in 1998.[18]

In 2000, a subsidiary Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. was formed to list a portion of the group on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, while Shanghai No.1st, 2, 3 and 5 Iron and Steel Plants of the group were remaining unlisted. In 2004, the listed subsidiary acquired Meishan Iron and Steel from Baosteel Group (via Shanghai Meishan Group).[16]

In 2007 Baosteel Group acquired the majority stake of Xinjiang Ba Yi Iron and Steel Group, which was the parent company of Ba Yi Iron and Steel [Company Limited by Shares].[19]

In 2008 Baosteel Group expended in Southern China, which planned to build a new facility in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, which formally started by its subsidiary Baoshan Iron & Steel in 2012, by acquiring 71.8032% stake of Zhanjiang Iron and Steel for CNY4.976 billion from State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Guangzhou City.[20]

In 2011, Baosteel Group acquired 51% stake of Guangdong Shaoguan Iron and Steel Group from SASAC of Guangdong Government. In April 2012, Shaoguan Iron and Steel Co, Ltd. was established.[21]

Boasteel owns the 85% of held resources company Aquila Resources Pty Ltd, through Baosteel Resources.[22]

Boasteel developed a sales and distribution network in China and foreign countries. Boasteel overseas subsidiaries controls key minerals resources for steel production, such as the Majishan ore terminal in the port of Zhoushan.[16] Baosteel also invested in steel-related industries such as Baoxin Software and Baosteel Chemical.[16]

On 21–22 September 2016, a plan to merge Baosteel Group and fellow state-owned steel maker Wuhan Iron and Steel Corporation was announced. Baoshan Iron and Steel Company Limited, the listed portion of Baosteel Group would takeover the counterpart Wuhan Iron and Steel Company Limited in an all-share deal,[23] while the rights of Wuhan Iron and Steel Corporation would be transferred to Baosteel Group for free as a wholly owned subsidiary. Both Baosteel Group and Wuhan Iron and Steel Corporation were supervised by SASAC of the Central Government. As of December 2016, the name of the new group is China Baowu Steel Group Corporation.[24] It is now the second largest steel producer in the world, with assets estimated to be worth around 730 billion Yuan,[25] employing 228,000 employees and expected annual sales revenues of 330 billion Yuan ($47.9 billion).[26]

In early 2016, Baosteel Group was accused by US Steel Corp. of stealing commercial secrets. Baosteel rejected these allegations, stating that "In particular, the charges claiming that Baosteel stole commercial secrets from U.S. Steel is rootless speculation and subjective assumption, and could even be described as an absurd statement".[27] The United States International Trade Commission launched a probe into these allegations in May 2016. Next to Baosteel, Hebei Iron and Steel Group, Wuhan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., Maanshan Iron and Steel Company Limited, Anshan Iron and Steel Group and Jiangsu Shagang Group are also under investigation.[28] In February 2017, US Steel dropped the claim of trade secret theft because of a lack of evidence, and in October 2017, the United States International Trade Commission dismissed the anti-circumvention allegation. In March 2018, it additionally dismissed the antitrust claims, again because of a lack of evidence, and ended the investigation.[29]

In 2019, China Baowu Steel Group acquired 51% stake of Masteel Group from the SASAC of Anhui Provincial People's Government for free. The acquisition also included the indirect controlling stake of the list company Maanshan Iron and Steel Company Limited.[30]

By 2020 the company had become the largest steel manufacturer in the world by volume.[31]

In 2022, Baowu acquired fellow state-owned enterprise Sinosteel.[32][33][34]