Granulated blast furnace slag, an industrial by-product formed by water-quenching blast furnace slag from ironmaking, is rich in beneficial components such as silicon and calcium. It can be processed into gelling materials for construction, raw materials for thermal insulation products, and other applications, boasting high resource recycling value. As a concentration area of the iron and steel industry, northern China has a huge output of GBFS. Relying on the port groups around the Bohai Sea and the northern Yellow Sea, it has formed a large-scale system for production, processing and export, with export volume showing a rapid growth trend in recent years.

I. Production Foundation and Core Producing Areas

The production of GBFS in northern China is highly linked to iron and steel production capacity, mainly concentrated in Hebei and Liaoning, two major iron and steel provinces, supplemented by Shandong, Tianjin and other regions. Tangshan, Hebei, relying on large steel mills such as HBIS Laoting Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., Delong Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., and Rongxing Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., is the largest GBFS producing area in China. About 60% of the local GBFS supplies local grinding plants and cement factories, while the remaining 40% is exported through ports. Liaoning, supported by enterprises such as Benxi Iron and Steel (Group) Co., Ltd. and AN Steel Co., Ltd., also ranks among the top in terms of GBFS output, with products mainly distributed through Dandong Port and YINGKOU Port.

In terms of production scale, the annual output of GBFS of a single plant in northern China can reach millions of tons, and the peak annual operation volume of leading traders exceeds 10 million tons. The production link of GBFS has formed a collaborative model of "steel mill + trader + port". Traders flexibly select loading docks according to steel mill production capacity and port location to achieve efficient supply distribution.

II. Core Export Ports and Operation Models

The export of GBFS in northern China mainly relies on the Bohai Rim port group, forming a pattern with Caofeidian Port and Jingtang Port as the core, Yingkou Port and Dandong Port as supplements. Each port undertakes goods from different regions by virtue of its location and model advantages.

Benefiting from the "port-front factory-back" model and customs supervision innovation, the export growth rate further accelerated. This model realizes the direct transportation of GBFS from the factory to the dock for loading by new energy transport vehicles without yard turnover. Cooperating with the customs policies of "direct loading upon arrival" and "loading while arriving", it greatly shortens the customs clearance and loading cycle.

III. Export Markets and Trade Dynamics

In recent years, the export volume of GBFS at northern ports has continued to rise. In 2024, the national export volume of GBFS reached 13.89 million tons. From January to November 2025, the total export volume reached 17.3 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 42.8%, and it is expected to exceed 20 million tons for the whole year. The growth in export volume is mainly driven by factors such as low domestic demand, and strong demand in overseas markets.

The export markets are mainly in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, with core destinations including Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, India and other countries. Some goods are exported to European and American countries such as the United States and Lithuania. Data in April 2025 shows that Shandong Port exported 33,000 tons of GBFS to the United States, Guangdong also had significant export volumes to Vietnam, and Tianjin Port exported a small amount of goods to Iraq.

The main trade entities are private trade enterprises. Leading enterprises can achieve an annual export volume of more than 7 million tons, and generally establish strict quality inspection systems. Each batch of goods is tracked and inspected by SGS to ensure no mixing of steel slag and sand, so as to guarantee the quality stability of export products.

IV. Development Trends

The export of GBFS at northern ports has formed a characteristic model of "resource recycling + efficient port operation + precise policy empowerment". On the one hand, GBFS has been transformed from industrial waste into an export-oriented product, which not only solves the environmental disposal problem of iron and steel enterprises, but also realizes resource appreciation, conforming to the concept of green development. On the other hand, the innovation of port models and the optimization of customs supervision have formed a joint force to speed up and improve the efficiency of export trade.

In the future, with the advancement of ultra-low emission transformation of northern iron and steel enterprises and the improvement of deep processing capacity of GBFS, the proportion of exports of high-value-added GBFS products is expected to increase. At the same time, the release of demand for overseas infrastructure construction will continue to drive the export of GBFS. The export scale of GBFS at northern ports is expected to maintain a steady growth trend, further consolidating its advantageous position in the global resource recycling trade.

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