Nippon Steel sues Baosteel as Baosteel stock faces patent claim

Published on 10/14/2026 at 07:12 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Nippon Steel seeks JPY 20.00 billion from Baosteel on October 14, 2026. Analysts set a CNY 7.04 target for Baosteel stock.

Patent dispute and operating figures

Nippon Steel filed a JPY 20.00 billion patent lawsuit involving Baosteel on October 14, 2026.
First-half 2026 revenue reached CNY 160.731 billion, up 6.18 percent year over year.
Baosteel is scheduled to report its next earnings on October 28, 2026.

Baosteel, CNE0000015R4, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Baosteel (ISIN CNE0000015R4) faces a patent lawsuit from Nippon Steel involving a JPY 20.00 billion claim filed on October 14, 2026. iNEWS reported that the case also names Toyota and concerns electromagnetic steel sheets used in vehicle motors.

Recent company milestones

In the first half of 2026, Baosteel reported revenue of CNY 160.731 billion, up 6.18 percent year over year, while net profit attributable to shareholders fell 6.30 percent to CNY 4.571 billion. Futu also reported first-half steel sales of 25.68 million tonnes, up 1.46 percent year over year.

Baosteel's product mix moved faster than total steel sales during the same period. Differentiated product sales reached 17.667 million tonnes, up 6.50 percent year over year, according to Futu.

What does the lawsuit change?

The dispute puts Baosteel's electrical-steel technology and supply relationship with Toyota under scrutiny. Nippon Steel is seeking restrictions on Toyota vehicles using the products in Japan, while Baosteel said it would respond to the case and defend its rights, iNEWS reported.

The operating figures show the tension behind the legal headline. Revenue grew 6.18 percent, but net profit declined 6.30 percent, while gross profit per tonne fell 20.81 percent in the first half of 2026 because selling prices weakened more than costs, according to Futu.

Next reporting date

Baosteel's next earnings date is October 28, 2026, according to Investing.com. The upcoming report will give investors a fresh test of whether volume growth can offset weaker steel pricing and legal uncertainty.