Reshaping the Magnesium Export Landscape through Regulatory Upgrades UAE Joins the Game to Expand Global Supply Chain [SMM Survey]

UAE Signs First Magnesium Metal Production Project Memorandum to Promote Industrial Diversification in the Gulf Region

UAE's Magmec Company recently signed a cooperation memorandum with the Metix brand under South Africa's SMS Group, planning to jointly develop the country's first magnesium metal production plant. The project will adopt advanced reduction furnace technology to extract magnesium oxide from raw materials such as dolomite and salt brine, and subsequently produce magnesium metal, aiming to establish a stable and sustainable magnesium supply source for strategic industrial users in the Gulf region.

According to the agreement, the SMS Group will leverage its professional expertise in process design and metallurgical equipment engineering to assist Magmec in optimizing existing process models, advancing front-end engineering design, and reducing overall project risks. This collaboration will combine Magmec's proprietary technology for diversified raw material extraction with the SMS Group's leading industrial furnace and engineering integration capabilities, promoting the transition of the technology from the experimental stage to commercial application.

This project aligns with the UAE's "300 Billion Industrial Strategy" and the "Make it in the Emirates" initiative, aiming to enhance local manufacturing capabilities, expand non-oil GDP, and provide a reliable supply of magnesium raw materials for downstream industries such as aluminum processing, automotive, aerospace, and electronics, thereby improving regional supply chain resilience.

China's Export Supervision Fully Electronically Integrated, Ending Gray Area of "Forging or Purchasing Customs Clearance Documents"

On December 30, 2025, the General Administration of Customs and the State Taxation Administration jointly issued Announcement No. 256, specifying that starting January 1, 2026, the "Certificate of Tax Reimbursed/Not Reimbursed for Export Goods" will be subject to nationwide electronic data verification. This measure aims to thoroughly block regulatory loopholes that allow enterprises to repeatedly declare goods for which tax has been reimbursed or not reimbursed, and fraudulently obtain export tax rebates, through real-time data comparison between the tax and customs systems.

After the implementation of the new regulations, each certificate will be bound to a specific customs declaration form and cannot be reused. The movement trajectory of goods in the tax and customs processes will be completely transparent, eliminating the information asymmetry traditionally relied upon by the "forging or purchasing customs clearance documents" model. Enterprises attempting to declare goods under another entity's name through this method will be directly intercepted during customs clearance due to data discrepancies and will face severe penalties.

This policy is a key component of the multi-departmental policy package targeting "forging or purchasing customs clearance documents" since 2025. Previously, Announcement No. 8 had required export enterprises to complete registration with the tax authorities before they can declare goods, preventing shell companies from engaging in quick-in, quick-out operations at the source. Announcement No. 17 mandated that export agents report the actual client information, addressing violations related to the separation of "goods, invoices, and payments." With the comprehensive formation of the regulatory network, the long-standing gray area of "forging or purchasing customs clearance documents" in trade has been declared over, and export enterprises must now transition to fully compliant operations.

Currently, the export market for magnesium metal is exhibiting a more standardized trading environment. Traders have become more cautious with their post-holiday quotations and are placing greater emphasis on the compliance of export customs clearance procedures. Under ongoing industry regulation, the export market for magnesium products in 2026 is expected to further move toward standardization and orderliness.