On July 31, 2023, the Ministry of Commerce of the Peoples Republic of China, the General Administration of Customs, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, and the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission, in accordance with relevant regulations and to safeguard national security and interests, decided to implement export controls on certain unmanned aerial vehicles or unmanned airships and related items from September 1, 2023. This control includes export restrictions on aero - engines, payload equipment, radio communication equipment, and anti - drone systems with specific performance. Export operators need to handle export license procedures as required. Those who export without permission, beyond the scope of permission, or in other illegal circumstances will be subject to corresponding penalties.

Aero-engines specifically designed for certain unmanned aerial vehicles or unmanned airships with a maximum continuous power exceeding 16 kilowatts (kW). (Refer to HS Codes: 8501200010, 8501320010, 8501330010, 8501340010, 8501400010, 8501520010, 8501530010, 8407101010, 8407102010, 8408909230, 8408909320, 8411111010, 8411119010, 8411121010, 8411129020, 8411210010, 8411221010, 8411222010, 8411223010, 8411810002)

Payloads specifically designed for certain unmanned aerial vehicles or unmanned airships that meet certain technical indicators, including infrared imaging devices (Refer to HS Codes: 8525891110, 8525892110, 8525893110), synthetic aperture radars (Refer to HS Code: 8526109011), and lasers for target indication (Refer to HS Code: 9013200093).

Radio communication equipment specifically designed for certain unmanned aerial vehicles or unmanned airships and having any of the following characteristics (Refer to HS Codes: 8517629910, 8517691002, 8526920010).

Civil anti - drone systems, including anti - drone electronic jamming equipment with a jamming range greater than 5 kilometers (km) (Refer to HS Code: 8543709960) and high - power lasers with an output power greater than 1.5 kilowatts (kW) specifically designed for anti - drone systems (Refer to HS Code: 9013200093).

Export operators need to go through export license formalities in accordance with relevant regulations, including:

(1) Submit the original export contract or agreement, or a copy or scanned copy identical to the original;
(2) Submit the technical description or test report of the items to be exported;
(3) Provide the end - user and end - use certificates;
(4) Provide an introduction to the importer and the end - user;
(5) Provide the identity certificates of the legal representative, main business manager, and the handling personnel of the applicant.

(1) The Ministry of Commerce will review the export application documents after receiving them and make a decision on approval or non - approval within the legal time limit.
(2) For exports that have a significant impact on national security, the Ministry of Commerce, together with relevant departments, will report to the State Council for approval.

If approved after review, the Ministry of Commerce will issue dual - use items and technology export licenses.

The application and issuance procedures of export licenses, handling of special situations, and the retention period of documents and materials shall be implemented in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Measures for the Administration of Licenses for Dual - Use Items and Technologies (Order No. 29 of 2005 of the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs).import and exportExport operators shall present export licenses to the customs, go through customs formalities in accordance with the Customs Law of the Peoples Republic of China, and accept customs supervision.

During the process of agency export, the following points need to be paid attention to:

For those who export without permission, export beyond the scope of permission, or have other illegal circumstances, the Ministry of Commerce, the customs, and other departments shall impose administrative penalties in accordance with the provisions of relevant laws and regulations. If a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be investigated in accordance with the law.

This announcement shall come into force on September 1, 2023.