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Seats are limited, first come first served. Let us journey together toward the covenant of sustainability! [Click to register] On October 16, 2026, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology issued Announcement No. 48 of 2026, soliciting public comments on the revision of the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export of China (hereinafter referred to as the Catalogue), and imposing temporary management measures requiring pre-export registration for relevant technologies. Recently, the MOFCOM spokesperson answered reporters' questions on related issues.
Question: What is the background of the Catalogue revision?
Answer: According to Article 20 of the Foreign Trade Law of the People's Republic of China, the competent department of foreign trade under the State Council, together with other relevant departments under the State Council, formulates, adjusts and publishes the catalogue of technologies prohibited or restricted from export. Since 2001, the Ministry of Commerce, together with the Ministry of Science and Technology, has adjusted and revised the Catalogue multiple times, with items added and removed, and with both control and liberalization, forming an established working practice. This revision is also a routine task of technology trade management, conducted in accordance with laws and regulations, and does not target any specific country, region or entity. In recent years, the application of artificial intelligence, biomedicine and photovoltaic-related technologies in sensitive fields has continued to expand, and major economies have all implemented export controls of varying degrees. China, by referencing internationally accepted practices, implements necessary management in accordance with the law, both to prevent the risk of technology loss of control and improper proliferation and to safeguard normal international technology exchange and cooperation, promoting science and technology for good, safe and controllable, and beneficial to humanity.
Question: What is the scope of technologies proposed to be added to the Catalogue?
Answer: This public consultation involves 40 key technologies proposed to be added in three fields: artificial intelligence, biomedicine and photovoltaics. Among them, 14 technologies are proposed to be prohibited from export, including: AI-driven malicious code generation and mutation technology, cell and gene therapy technology process platforms with independent intellectual property rights, and perovskite and tandem cell module production technology, etc.; 26 technologies are proposed to be restricted from export, including: AI-assisted vulnerability discovery technology, discovery and validation technology for entirely new targets of universal cell and gene therapy with independent intellectual property rights, and polysilicon engineering technology with single-line capacity of no less than 30,000 tons per year, etc. The announcement also clarifies circumstances under which facilitation measures apply. For details, please refer to the original text of the announcement.
Question: Has the Catalogue revision fully taken into account the state of industrial development?
Answer: The Chinese government has consistently supported enterprises in carrying out mutually beneficial transnational operations and international technology cooperation in accordance with laws and regulations, and the relevant policy stance has not changed. Regarding the scope of technologies and policies in this public consultation, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology, together with industry competent departments, had already extensively organized research institutions and industry organizations to conduct in-depth assessments in advance, and fully solicited the opinions and suggestions of major enterprises, taking full account of the current situation and development needs of domestic and international industries. This is specifically reflected in three aspects: First, the scope of listing is precise and limited. Most of the technologies proposed to be listed this time have specific technical indicators clearly defined, and products manufactured using the relevant technologies are not within the scope of management. The scope of management is clear, precise and limited, delineating compliance boundaries for enterprises and facilitating policy implementation. Second, facilitation measures apply. This listing clarifies multiple export circumstances under which facilitation measures are proposed to apply, reflecting the management concept of tiered and classified administration, helping to enhance the transparency and predictability of policy, and ensuring technology exports are safe, standardized and orderly. Third, dynamic adjustment is implemented. The Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology will, in accordance with the law, implement dynamic adjustment of the scope of the Catalogue, and in light of technological development, promptly remove non-advanced or backward technologies from the Catalogue. This consultation is a work arrangement for soliciting opinions and suggestions from all parties on a broader scale.
Question: Regarding the AI technologies proposed to be added, what are the main considerations?
Answer: At present, global AI technology innovation has entered an unprecedented period of activity, with both opportunities and challenges. This time, 23 key technologies related to AI large models, intelligent agents, computing power clusters and information processing are proposed to be added to the Catalogue, mainly for the following considerations: First, to ensure that AI technology is safe and controllable. The various endogenous and derivative risks triggered by AI have attracted great attention from countries around the world. The AI autonomously driven malicious code generation and mutation technology, etc., proposed for listing this time, can be used to attack sensitive systems such as national critical information infrastructure, national defense and military industry, and core government affairs, or to bypass national security defense systems. If acquired by non-state actors or malicious entities, it could cause harm to national security and the common security of humanity. The Chinese government implements necessary management of such technologies with the aim of shoring up the security baseline, preventing abuse and misuse, ensuring that AI always remains under human control, and advancing international AI governance. Second, to encourage open source, openness and cooperative sharing. The Chinese government is committed to making AI an important driving force for promoting common prosperity and safeguarding common security. To support the construction of an open-source AI innovation ecosystem, for AI-related technologies that are open-sourced, for Chinese enterprises building and operating their own computing centers overseas, going abroad to conduct chip tape-out manufacturing, utilizing overseas resources for joint research and development, and participating in international standard-setting, facilitation measures such as automatic licensing apply, basically achieving "report and export immediately"; for relevant technologies that have already entered the public domain through open source, publication of academic papers and other means, they are proposed not to be included in the scope of export management, creating a favorable environment for international AI technology exchange and cooperation. It should be particularly noted that China advocates conducting AI dialogue and cooperation with all countries on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and jointly addressing the risks of AI technology proliferation and loss of control. China supports Global South countries in strengthening AI capacity building, bridging the digital and intelligence divide, and promoting sustainable development. For technology exports needed for international cooperation in capacity building, technology sharing and joint rule-making among members of the World AI Cooperation Organization, more facilitation and support will be provided.
Question: After the Catalogue is formally implemented, do various forms of "going global" by AI large models, such as localized deployment overseas and providing model invocation to overseas parties, fall within the scope of technology export management?
Answer: At present, the "going global" models of AI large models and application products are diverse. The core of determining whether a specific "going global" circumstance falls within the scope of technology export management lies in whether it involves the transfer of restricted technologies from within China to outside China. The scope of AI technologies included in regulation this time is precise and limited. After the relevant measures are formally implemented, the vast majority of AI technologies can still be freely exported. For AI technologies included in the restricted category, carrying out localized deployment overseas falls within the scope of technology export management; if deployed in overseas proprietary clouds and other circumstances where risks are relatively controllable, facilitation measures such as automatic licensing may apply. For enterprises using restricted large models to provide API invocation, APP/webpage interaction, SaaS applications, and localized lightweight on-device deployment to external parties, these do not fall within the scope of large model technology export management.
Question: Regarding the biomedical technologies proposed to be added, what are the main considerations?
Answer: The current Catalogue already includes some biomedical technologies. This time, 5 technologies related to pathogenic microorganisms, cell and gene therapy, and small nucleic acid drugs are proposed to be added, mainly for the following considerations: First, to safeguard human life, health and safety. Pathogenic microorganism technology and others are directly related to human health and national biosafety. Including them in the Catalogue for prohibition of export is an institutional arrangement for safeguarding national security and building a biosafety barrier, and is also an objective need for protecting the health of all humanity. Second, to support Chinese biomedical technologies in carrying out international cooperation in an orderly manner in accordance with laws and regulations. In listing biomedical technologies this time, exclusions or applicable facilitation measures are provided for important circumstances of international cooperation. For example, for relevant technology process platforms with independent intellectual property rights, export circumstances such as outbound licensing and using relevant technology processes to provide outsourced research and production services are not included in the scope of management; for relevant target discovery and validation technologies with independent intellectual property rights, exports by way of outbound licensing apply facilitation measures such as automatic licensing. Third, to practice the concept of a community of health for mankind. This policy explicitly stipulates that for restricted export technologies, exports needed for public health emergencies, humanitarian relief, and joint research and development utilizing overseas resources apply facilitation measures such as automatic licensing. China will continue to share the fruits of technological development with countries around the world and make positive contributions to improving human health and well-being.
Question: Regarding the photovoltaic technologies proposed to be added, what are the main considerations?
Answer: This time, 12 photovoltaic technologies in links including polysilicon manufacturing, wafer manufacturing and cell manufacturing are proposed to be added to the Catalogue, mainly for the following considerations: First, to safeguard national security and interests. In recent years, the application of photovoltaic technology in sensitive fields such as aerospace, national defense, unmanned equipment and high-security-level infrastructure has continued to expand, and the national security risks that may arise from photovoltaic technology exports have continued to rise, making it necessary to implement timely and appropriate regulation. Second, to support the sharing of green technology. The scope of technologies listed this time is limited, and other technologies that do not reach the control indicators can still be freely exported. The announcement lists a small number of key photovoltaic equipment, only targeting circumstances carrying technologies that reach the control indicators. Other photovoltaic equipment not listed does not, in principle, fall under the requirements of this announcement. Third, to improve the technology export regulatory system. The export of key photovoltaic technologies often occurs alongside the export, installation, commissioning, improvement and upgrading of photovoltaic production lines. Export operators engaging in the above activities shall apply for a technology export license in accordance with regulations, and use the license to handle relevant procedures with foreign exchange, banking, taxation, customs and other authorities.
Question: What are the main considerations and specific requirements for implementing pre-export registration management for the technologies proposed to be added?
Answer: In order to understand the demand for relevant technology exports, enhance the level of scientific management, and prevent potential export risks, in accordance with the relevant provisions of Articles 18 and 20 of the Foreign Trade Law of the People's Republic of China, and upon approval, from the date of issuance of Announcement No. 48 of 2026 by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology until the date of implementation of the formal revision announcement of the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export of China, technology export operators shall, before exporting the technologies listed in the announcement, register in the Technology Trade Management Information Application on the Unified Platform of the Ministry of Commerce Business System. Export operators shall judge on their own whether the technologies proposed for export fall within the scope of temporary registration management. Exports already started but not yet completed fall within the scope of registration. Circumstances of export requiring registration include: transferring the ownership of technology to overseas parties, authorizing domestic technology for use overseas, changing the owner or actual controller of domestic technology to an overseas entity, and other circumstances explicitly requiring registration by the Ministry of Commerce. It should be particularly noted that for exports of key and core photovoltaic equipment included in the scope of management of the Catalogue, registration is required in accordance with regulations. If enterprises encounter problems and difficulties in registration, they may consult the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology in a timely manner.
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