[SMM Hot Topic] "2026 Tariff Adjustment Plan" Released! Any Changes for Steel-Related Products?

In order to thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and its plenary sessions, guide the development of new quality productive forces, continuously meet the people's needs for a better life, contribute to the expansion of high-standard opening up, and promote high-quality development, adjustments will be made to the import tariff rates and categories for certain goods starting from January 1, 2026, in accordance with the Tariff Law of the People's Republic of China and relevant regulations.

To enhance the synergistic effect of domestic and international markets and resources, and to expand the supply of high-quality goods, a provisional import tariff rate lower than the Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) rate will be applied to 935 items in 2026. First, to promote high-level technological self-reliance and self-strengthening and facilitate the development of a modern industrial system, import tariffs on key parts and advanced materials such as CNC hydraulic cushions for presses and special-shaped composite contact strips will be reduced. Second, to support the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, import tariffs on resource-based commodities such as recycled black mass for lithium-ion batteries and unroasted pyrite will be lowered. Third, to strengthen efforts in safeguarding and improving people's livelihoods and accelerate the building of a Healthy China, import tariffs on medical products such as artificial blood vessels and diagnostic kits for certain infectious diseases will be reduced. Additionally, to enhance the internal dynamics of the domestic cycle and in line with changes in domestic industrial development and supply-demand conditions, within the scope of China's World Trade Organization commitments, the provisional import tariff rates on goods including micro motors, printing machines, and sulphuric acid will be abolished, and the MFN rates will be reinstated.

SMM compiled the provisional tax rates for steel-related imports and exports, with the specific comparisons as follows:

Compared to the 2025 tariff adjustment plan, there were no changes to the import and export tariff rates for steel-related products in 2026. Additionally, no adjustments were made to the tariff lines for steel-related products this year.