China Proposes Export Curbs on 40 Technologies
China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and Ministry of Science and Technology have proposed adding 40 technologies to the country's list of technologies prohibited or restricted from export. The announcement, numbered No. 48 of 2026, was published on October 16, 2026, and asks for public comment on the proposed revision. Public comment is a formal period in which members of the public and businesses can submit feedback before a rule is finalised.
The draft covers 40 key technologies in three fields: artificial intelligence, biomedicine and photovoltaics, the technology used in solar power. Twenty-three of the proposed additions are in artificial intelligence, including areas such as large models, agents, computing clusters and information processing.
Of the 40, 14 are proposed to be prohibited from export outright. The list includes technology for generating and modifying malicious code, which is harmful software, using AI. The announcement also addresses temporary registration management for exports of related technologies.
The proposal follows earlier reporting on the subject. In July, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources, that Beijing was considering curbing overseas access to China's top AI models. Two weeks later, Reuters reported, citing the Financial Times, that Chinese authorities were considering tightening export controls on AI and semiconductor technologies.
A separate set of measures was published on October 19, 2026. MOFCOM and the General Administration of Customs, the agency that oversees the country's border trade, announced Announcement No. 50, which decides to impose export controls on shield tunnelling machines (盾构机), the machines used to bore tunnels, and related items. Announcement No. 51 adjusts export controls on dredger-related items, and Announcement No. 49, issued with the Central Military Commission Equipment Development Department, adjusts controls on drone-related items. Announcement No. 52 concerns verification and identification work for dual-use item export controls, meaning goods that have both civilian and military uses.
