Industry Overview - The directional compass is an instrument that measures direction using the Earth's magnetic field or electronic sensor technology, widely used in geological exploration, navigation, military, surveying, outdoor activities, and feng shui detection [2][4] - The directional compass market in China is experiencing strong demand due to rapid development in geological exploration, surveying, military, navigation, and the expanding outdoor sports market [10] Industry Development History - The directional compass industry in China has evolved through three main stages, from the use of natural compass technology in ancient times to the integration of electronic and satellite navigation technologies in modern times [4][5] - The completion of the BeiDou-3 global network in 2020 has enabled the integration of BeiDou positioning modules into electronic compasses, achieving multi-source fusion navigation [5] Industry Status - From January to May 2025, China imported 17,000 directional compasses, a year-on-year increase of 10.87%, with an import value of 108 million yuan, up 53.81% [10] - During the same period, China exported 3.0387 million directional compasses, a year-on-year decrease of 25.13%, with an export value of 5 million yuan, down 25.63% [10] - Japan dominates China's directional compass imports, accounting for 71.24% of the total import value, highlighting its core position in the high-end industry chain [12] Industry Chain - The upstream of the directional compass industry includes raw materials and components such as magnetic materials, electronic component materials, and precision mechanical materials [6] - The midstream involves the production and manufacturing of directional compasses, while the downstream applications span navigation, aviation, geological exploration, military, surveying, and outdoor activities [6] Key Enterprises - The directional compass industry in China is relatively concentrated, with a few large enterprises holding significant market shares, such as Harbin Optical Instrument Factory, which has a market share exceeding 95% in mechanical and electronic compasses [16][18] - Shenzhen Ruifen Technology Co., Ltd. specializes in inertial navigation and has developed high-precision electronic compasses widely used in various high-end applications [20] Industry Development Trends - The industry is witnessing a wave of technological integration, with a focus on smart and high-precision products driven by the fusion of BeiDou navigation, 5G communication, and artificial intelligence [23] - Market demand is expected to show significant differentiation, with professional sectors requiring high-precision products while consumer markets seek portable and multifunctional compasses [24] - The process of domestic substitution is accelerating, with Chinese companies making breakthroughs in core components, although international competition remains fierce [25]