Scope. Only Chinese mills with active equity listings on HKEX, Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), or Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) and whose primary business is aluminum (smelting, rolling, extrusion, or foil) were eligible. We deliberately exclude NEEQ-only listings as their disclosure cadence is materially weaker.
Scoring. A composite 0-100 score:
(1) Exchange tier (35%) — HKEX 35, SSE Main 32, SZSE Main 30, ChiNext 25. HKEX scores highest because dual-listed reporting in English speeds international buyer review.
(2) Nameplate capacity (30%) — capped at 1.5M t/yr to avoid smelter-only mills dominating extrusion-relevant rankings.
(3) Disclosure depth (20%) — quarterly cadence + segment reporting + capacity-utilization disclosure each scored independently.
(4) Export footprint (15%) — destination-market count from our top_markets registry.
Tie-breakers: capacity, founding date.
Why this matters. For B2B buyers, audited financials cut the cost of supplier vetting from weeks to hours. A mill that publishes segment revenue, capacity utilization, and customer concentration lets you check counterparty risk without pulling private credit reports. Listed mills also face stronger penalties for misrepresenting production capacity, which reduces the 'fake capacity' risk common in private-mill audits.
Disclaimer. Listing on a major exchange does not equal product quality — it just makes verifiable claims easier to verify. Cross-reference against this list when evaluating any private mill claiming similar capacity.
Cited sources. HKEX HKEXnews · SSE / SZSE filings · Annual reports · China SAMR registry
Disclaimer: not a paid placement. No mill paid for inclusion or for ranking position. Re-reviewed annual.