Pipeline waxing in crude oil transportation seriously affects normal production and transportation. The work aims to obtain a super-hydrophilic powder metallurgy brass surface by surface etching, so as to achieve good waxing resistance. A systematic study was done on the waxing resistance after anti-wax test by combining surface microstructure, roughness and wettability at different etching time. Ferric chloride solution was used to etch the powder metallurgy brass specimen at different etching time. Composition and morphology of the etched surface were analyzed with X-ray diffractometer and scanning electron microscope. Surface wettability of the specimen was measured with a contact angle meter. Surface etching was indeed a process of “dezincification”. Micro-nano particle coarse structure was formed on the surface of specimen. As the etching time prolonged, the maximum contour height Rz increased accordingly. Compared with untreated samples, water contact angle of the surface of specimen was greatly reduced after being etched and the waxing resistance was improved remarkably. When the etching time was 120 min, the water contact angle was far less than 30°, and powder metallurgy brass surface achieved super-hydrophilic state. About 80% of the surface was clean original surface after anti-waxing test, almost no paraffin was absorbed. Stable “water film” is formed in aqueous phase due to the fine rough structure consisting of hydrophilic composition and pyramid shaped copper particles on the etched surface. This film can effectively prevent precipitation and deposition of paraffin in oil phase, and further achieve good waxing resistance.