The 2025 updated export tax rebate policy has injected vitality into carbon steel enterprises. According to the 2025 Export Tax Rebate Rate Adjustment Table released by the General Administration of Customs:
- The tax rebate rate for ordinary carbon hot-rolled coils (3-12mm thick, 235MPa yield strength grade) remains stable at 9%. Based on the current international market average price of $650/ton, each ton qualifies for a $58.5 rebate, reducing costs by approximately 3.2% compared to similar products from Southeast Asia.
- High-strength structural carbon steel (e.g., Q355B steel plates with a tensile strength of 470-630MPa) sees its rebate rate increased to 13%. For exports of large engineering steel to Europe, the rebate per ton reaches $84.5, directly narrowing the price gap with EU domestic products.
- Newly added green carbon steel categories (such as low-carbon rebar produced by Hebei Iron and Steel Group with carbon emissions ≤1.8 tons CO₂/ton steel) are eligible for an additional 2% special rebate, enhancing quotation competitiveness by 5%-7% in environmentally sensitive markets like Australia and the UAE.
A person in charge of a steel enterprise focusing on Southeast Asian markets revealed that after the policy adjustment, export orders for H-beams grew 18% month-on-month. Among them, the Penang Bridge expansion project in Malaysia placed a single order of 5,000 tons, setting a monthly export record.
The ISO 8353:2024 international standard led by Jiuquan Iron and Steel Group (JISCO) was officially implemented in March 2025, creating a "passport" for exports of zinc-aluminum-magnesium coated carbon steel products. The standard specifies:
- Coating weight range: 100-300g/m² (double-sided), 20% wider than the EU EN standard, adapting to high-corrosion environments in tropical regions.
- Salt spray resistance: ≥1,500 hours without red rust, far exceeding the 1,000-hour requirement of Japan's JIS standard, successfully entering the supply chain of photovoltaic power station projects in Saudi Arabia.
- Stamping formability: Erichsen test value ≥8.0mm, meeting the precision processing needs of German auto parts enterprises. In the first half of 2025, JISCO's exports of such steel plates to Germany surged 42% year-on-year.
Statistics from the China Iron and Steel Association show that after the standard took effect, the certification pass rate of China's high-end coated carbon steel in global markets rose from 68% to 91%, with the export average price increasing by $120/ton.
Segmented market data confirms the recovery in exports:
- Southeast Asian infrastructure: The extension project of Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia purchased 12,000 tons of China-produced φ114mm seamless carbon steel pipes (Grade 20 steel with a tensile strength of 410-550MPa), driving a 35% year-on-year growth in exports of this category to ASEAN.
- African manufacturing: The second phase of Adama Industrial Park in Ethiopia procured 8,000 tons of Q235B angle steel (50×50×5mm 规格), with China's market share in African angle steel rising from 28% in 2024 to 37%.
- Latin American energy sector: Brazil's deep-sea oilfield projects imported 36,000 tons of China-produced X65 grade pipeline steel (yield strength ≥448MPa) from January to June 2025, a year-on-year increase of over 50%.
The China Iron and Steel Association predicts that, supported by multiple benefits, China's total carbon steel exports in 2025 are expected to exceed 78 million tons, with high-value-added products accounting for 35%—a record high.
