Among the diverse policy instruments to address climate change,market mechanism is most widely used. International carbon trading practices,especially the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), indicate that carbon trading costs in power and other energy processing and conversion sectors bring change to downstream product prices. Typically reflected in increased tariff of downstream electricity,the change subsequently pushes up the cost of production in other sectors. Hence,the introduction of a carbon pricing mechanism will influence the cost of the overall economic development. For an export-oriented economy in China,it is bound to affect the product costs of export trade. Based on the input-output tables in 2005 and 2007,this paper examines the energy costs of export trade products in China,and finds that energy costs account for about 13% of the annual export value. If only domestic intermediate inputs are considered and imported ones deducted,the proportion falls to 9% - 10%,while electricity cost takes up over 60% of the whole energy costs. Given an increase of electricity costs by 50% with the introduction of the carbon pricing mechanism, the energy costs will be at least doubled,which will massively cut the international competitiveness of Chinas export products. Export trade sectors therefore need to step up the R & D input to enhance their technological strength,and thereby lower energy costs by increasing energy efficiency per unit of product. Meanwhile,in view of the large foreign trade surplus,it is necessary to constantly adjust the structure of export products. In line with the adjustment of domestic industrial policy,the export structure should be optimized by reducing energy-intensive products,so as to improve the technological content and added value of exports,while the overall adjustment of trade policies is oriented to competitiveness.