Recently, the international carbon steel raw materials sector has seen a host of positive developments. Favorable trends have emerged in cross-border cooperation, technological upgrading, and market demand, injecting strong impetus into the stable development of the global carbon steel industrial chain.
Cooperation in carbon steel raw materials trade between China and ASEAN countries has continued to deepen. According to the latest data from China's General Administration of Customs, in the first half of 2025, China's exports of carbon steel raw materials to ASEAN countries reached 8.5 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 12.3%, with trade volume exceeding 4.2 billion US dollars, up 15.6% year-on-year. This growth benefits from close cooperation between the two sides in infrastructure construction in recent years. ASEAN countries have a strong demand for carbon steel raw materials due to numerous railway, port, and other projects, and China has become a key supplier with its stable production capacity and high-quality products.
Good news has also come from the field of technological innovation. Germany's ThyssenKrupp Group recently announced a major breakthrough in performance tests for its newly developed high-strength low-carbon carbon steel raw materials. While maintaining high strength, the material reduces carbon emissions by 20% compared to traditional products, with production costs increasing by only about 5%.
"The successful development of this new carbon steel raw material is a key achievement in our green steel initiatives," said ThyssenKrupp's Chief Technology Officer in an interview. "It not only meets the demand for high-performance materials in automotive, construction, and other industries but also helps advance global carbon neutrality goals. We plan to achieve mass production in early 2026 and prioritize supply to global partners."
In terms of market demand, as the global economy gradually recovers, demand for carbon steel raw materials in various industries has steadily rebounded. A report released by the World Steel Association shows that in the second quarter of 2025, global demand for carbon steel raw materials increased by 8.7% quarter-on-quarter, with the automotive manufacturing industry seeing the most significant growth at 11.2% quarter-on-quarter.
The association's director analyzed that while the global automotive industry's electrification transformation has affected demand for some traditional steel products, it has increased demand for high-strength, lightweight carbon steel raw materials, creating new development opportunities for carbon steel raw material enterprises.
Progress has also been made in facilitating international carbon steel raw materials trade. Recently, China and Pakistan signed an agreement on customs clearance facilitation for carbon steel raw materials trade, aiming to simplify customs procedures and shorten inspection time. It is expected that after the agreement takes effect, customs clearance time for China's carbon steel raw materials exports to Pakistan will be reduced from an average of 5 days to 2 days, further lowering trade costs and improving efficiency.
These positive developments not only reflect the vitality and potential of the international carbon steel raw materials market but also bring broad development space for related enterprises. Industry insiders generally believe that driven by cooperation and innovation, the international carbon steel raw materials sector is expected to maintain a sound development trend in the future.
