On December 12, 2025, the Ministry of Commerce of China and the General Administration of Customs jointly issued an announcement, stating that export license management will be implemented for certain steel products starting from January 1, 2026. This export license management covers 299 customs code products, including core categories such as pig iron, recycled steel raw materials, hot-rolled coils, and stainless steel plates.
Enterprises applying for an export license must meet several conditions. First, they must possess a valid business license and import-export operation qualifications, and complete the application for an electronic authentication certificate and electronic key for the import and export administrative license of goods. Second, the exported goods must be listed in the appendix of the announcement, the "Catalog of Certain Steel Products Subject to Export License Management." It is advisable to confirm with customs in advance that the customs commodity code of the exported goods matches the code filled in when applying for the license. Additionally, a product quality inspection certificate issued by the manufacturer is required. According to the "Product Quality Law of the People's Republic of China," producers are responsible for the quality of their products. The certificate has no fixed format or template and can be issued by each manufacturer independently. It should include information such as product quantity and whether there is an expiration date, and must be stamped with the quality inspection seal or the official seal of the company. If the applying enterprise is not the same as the consignor, a "Power of Attorney for Customs Declaration" must be submitted.
