China will implement an export licensing system for certain steel products starting January 1, 2026, according to a joint statement from the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs released on Friday.

Under relevant laws and regulations, the two authorities have added specific steel products to the revised 2025 catalog of goods requiring export licenses. Foreign trade operators must submit an export contract and a manufacturer-issued product quality inspection certificate when applying for licenses for such shipments.

As a critical industrial raw material and key export category, steel products play an indispensable role in China's domestic development and global trade. Data shows that from January to October 2025, China's total exports of steel products, including finished and primary steel, reached $74.74 billion, with Chinese steel actively participating in global supply chain cooperation and boosting the industry's internationalization.

Since 2022, shifts in China's domestic supply and demand dynamics have brought new features to steel exports, including rising volume amid falling prices and the urgent need to standardize trade orders. The lengthy and complex trade chain has made it challenging for manufacturers to track product flows, hindering healthy industry development.

The China Iron and Steel Industry Association emphasized that the licensing system is a key measure to standardize exports and promote high-quality development, which will help safeguard global steel supply-demand balance and trade stability, demonstrating China's commitment as a responsible major power.

(Cover: Automatic unmanned overhead cranes hoist steel coils in the bright and advanced warehouse area of a modern factory./VCG)