Addressing Technical Barriers to International Trade

Color-coated steel sheet exports are facing multiple technical barriers. The EU REACH regulation has included substances such as hexavalent chromium and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the restricted list. Domestic enterprises have developed chromium-free pretreatment technologies and water-based coating systems to meet regulatory requirements, with exports to Europe increasing by 18% year-on-year in 2024. The ASTM A755/A755M standard in the U.S. imposes strict requirements on the bending properties of color-coated steel sheets. Baowu Steel has optimized the annealing process of the base material, reducing the bending diameter of 0.5mm thick sheets from 3t to 2t, meeting the standard requirements. The Southeast Asian market has high requirements for the moisture and heat resistance of color-coated steel sheets. Shandong Fuhai Company's silicon-modified polyester coating shows no blistering after 1000 hours at 35℃ and 95%RH, successfully entering the markets of Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries.