A heat exchanger is a device which transfers part of the heat of a hot fluid to a cold fluid. Heat exchanger is the general equipment in chemical industry, petroleum, steel, automotive, food and many other industrial sectors, occupies an important position in the production.

Especially in the chemical industry, the heat exchanger can be used as a heater, cooler, condenser, evaporator and reboiler, and so on.

In recent years, with the rapid development of China's petrochemical industry, iron and steel industry, the level of heat exchanger demand rose sharply, but the supply capacity of domestic enterprises is limited, resulting in the heat exchanger industry presents the market demand, the huge supply gap needs imports to make up.

According to customs statistics, from 2001 to 2005, China's average annual import of foreign heat exchanger from the 224 thousand and 900 units, the total amount of $1 billion 402 million. Among them, only a year in 2004 imported 341 thousand and 100 units, a total of $490 million. Although there are a lot of heat exchangers in our country, the scale is much smaller than the scale of import (see Figure 1). In 2001, China imported heat exchanger quantity, amount and average respectively than the export quantity, amount and average price of more than 44640 units, $80 million 216 thousand, US $245.72; but in 2005, the gap between import and export has been expanded to 75667, $345 million 170 thousand and $1347.57 / taiwan. This shows that China's heat exchanger market growth rate far exceeds the rate of supply growth. At the same time, China's exports of heat exchanger average price of less than half of the average price of imports, in 2005 is down to less than 25%. It can be imagined that China's exports are mostly low value-added products, low-end products, and imported products are high value-added high-end products. This fully shows that China's demand for high-end heat exchanger products but insufficient supply market. Expected in 11th Five-Year, the size of China's heat exchanger imports will remain at a relatively high level (about 200 ~ 3 million units), and more concentrated to high-end products.

According to the outline of the Eleventh National Economic and social development plan of People's Republic of China, China's economic growth will be maintained at an average annual rate of 7.5% during the period of 11th Five-Year. The petrochemical and steel as a pillar industry, will continue to maintain the momentum of rapid development, is expected in 2010 the total output value of iron and steel industry will be more than 500 billion yuan, the total output value of the chemical industry will exceed $400 billion. The development of these industries will provide a broader space for the heat exchanger industry. The future, the domestic market demand will show the following characteristics: put forward higher requirements on the quality of products, such as environmental protection, energy-saving products will be the focus of future development requirements; product price increase; the strong trend of product of personalized and diverse needs; gradually pay attention to selection of brand products; projects favored large enterprises or enterprise products.

The good opportunity brought by the domestic economic development, as well as the huge transformation of imported products, is a good reference for the development of heat exchanger industry in china. At the same time, the development of the industry must pay attention to the development of high-end products.