China to require export licences for some steel products

BEIJING, Dec 12 (Reuters): China's Ministry of Commerce said on Friday that it would require export licences for some steel products from January 1, 2026.

The announcement came after market talk of such a move by Beijing the day before.

Exports from the world's largest steel producer have been surprisingly resilient since 2023.

Outbound shipments in the first 11 months of 2025 jumped 6.7 per cent year-on-year to 107.72 million metric tons, keeping the annual total on track to hit a record high.

Robust steel exports have helped to partly offset faltering demand at home due to a protracted property market downturn.

But rising outflows of Chinese steel products have also triggered trade barriers from a number of overseas countries, which argue their domestic manufacturers have been hurt by the flood of cheap Chinese products.