On December 18, He Yadong, spokesman for China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) stated that the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs have jointly issued a notice announcing the introduction of an export license system for steel products, covering roughly 300 HS codes. He said that the primary aim of the export license system is to strengthen the monitoring and statistical analysis of steel exports and to keep track of export quality. He stressed that the measure is in full compliance with WTO rules and does not impose any quantitative restrictions or limit companies’ eligibility to export. Moreover, the measure could also guide steel enterprises to improve the quality and prioritize R&D innovation.
Meanwhile, the steel export license application system opened on December 18, allowing exporters to start applying for their 2026 export licenses.
