China drafts new export curbs on advanced tech

On Oct. 16, 2026, China released a draft revision to its Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export, targeting a new set of advanced technologies. The draft, issued by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology, proposes adding 40 technologies from artificial intelligence, photovoltaic solar and biomedicine sectors. These additions are presented as part of a formal export-control framework that differentiates between outright prohibitions and activities subject to licensing.

Under the proposal, the 40 technologies would be divided into 14 items that are prohibited from export and 26 that are restricted and require licenses. The draft does not revise existing items but focuses on newly listed technologies seen as sensitive or strategically important. The move signals greater regulatory scrutiny over outbound transfers of select high-end capabilities in China’s technology ecosystem.

Artificial intelligence accounts for the largest share of the proposed changes, with 23 AI-related technologies identified in the draft. These include foundation and large language models, associated model weights and source code, intelligent agents, computing clusters and certain chip-design technologies. The draft specifies that core technologies for large models trained on sensitive national data would be prohibited from export.

In addition, the proposal links controls to performance metrics and scale. It indicates that models with parameter counts of about 2 trillion or more, or with defined world-leading capabilities, could fall under export restrictions. While the text does not name specific products, reporting notes that some Chinese models exceed this parameter range, suggesting that the thresholds are aimed at the most advanced systems and infrastructure.

Beyond models themselves, the inclusion of intelligent agents and computing clusters extends prospective controls to the tools and hardware needed to train and deploy powerful AI systems. Certain chip-design technologies are also covered, reflecting attention to upstream components that enable high-performance computing. Together, these categories would tighten oversight over a broad AI stack, from algorithms and weights through to compute resources.

The draft lists 12 photovoltaic-related technologies for possible export controls. These items focus on solar-sector capabilities, though the document does not detail individual technologies in the summary. Five biomedicine technologies are also included, indicating the scope reaches beyond digital and computing fields.

As with AI, the solar and biopharma items are divided between prohibited and restricted classifications within the 40 proposed additions. This structure allows some technologies to be fully blocked from export while others may proceed under license. The approach underscores a broader application of export controls across multiple strategic industries.

The ministries opened the draft for public consultation from Oct. 16 to Nov. 15, 2026, inviting feedback before the measures are finalized. During this period, the proposed categories and thresholds may be adjusted, but the framework of prohibitions and restrictions provides a clear indication of regulatory direction.

Alongside the draft, an interim pre-export registration requirement took effect on Oct. 16, 2026. Exporters must register international technology transfers involving the covered technologies, including ownership transfers, licensing agreements and ongoing transactions. This registration is required while the catalogue revision is under review, adding an immediate layer of oversight over outbound technology deals.

The draft explicitly exempts technologies that have entered the public domain. Open-source releases, published academic papers and other forms of public disclosure are excluded from the scope of the proposed controls. This carve-out means that only non-public, controlled technology transfers would be subject to the new prohibitions and restrictions.

By distinguishing between proprietary and public-domain technologies, the draft attempts to target sensitive capabilities without encompassing widely accessible knowledge. As the consultation proceeds, this distinction and the defined thresholds for advanced systems will shape how the final controls apply to China’s AI, solar and biomedicine sectors.