Certain steel products are subject to export license management.

On December 12, 2025, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs jointly issued Announcement No. 79, deciding to adjust the Catalogue of Goods Subject to Export License Management (2025) by including certain steel products under export license requirements. This policy marks a new phase in China's steel export management, 16 years after the abolition of steel export license requirements on January 1, 2009. Currently, China's steel industry faces unprecedented pressure for transformation. From January to November 2025, China's steel exports reached 107.7 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 6.7%. Annual exports are projected to hit 115 million tons, surpassing the historical peak of 112 million tons recorded in 2015. Meanwhile, global trade protectionism continues to intensify. Since 2024, China's steel sector has faced over 50 anti-dumping cases, marking a record high in such cases. Against this backdrop, the reinstatement of export license management for certain steel products serves both as a practical response to evolving international trade dynamics and as a strategic choice to advance the industry's green and low-carbon transformation while optimizing export structures.