China Proposes Export Controls on AI, Biopharma and Solar Tech
China's MOFCOM and MOST issued draft revisions to the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export covering AI, biopharma and photovoltaic technologies.
On 16 October 2026, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) released draft revisions to the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export, proposing new or tightened controls on artificial intelligence, biopharma and photovoltaic technologies. The reporting available here does not set out the specific controlled items, the consultation mechanics or the licensing carve-outs, so the exact scope of the proposal should be confirmed against the published draft text rather than assumed.
Catalogue changes of this kind reach well beyond the immediate licensor or seller. They reshape technical annexes and compliance clauses in supply, joint-development and distribution agreements; trigger notice, audit and record-keeping duties; and require re-screening of counterparties, end users, end uses and Chinese-origin components in diligence. Tightening on AI-related technology also interacts with US and EU outbound investment screening, chip-sector controls and export classification work already underway in major-firm practices.
Practical steps to consider: map exposure by product line and technology node, review contractual compliance warranties and change-in-law provisions, and calibrate internal escalation thresholds before the final catalogue lands. The next developments to watch are the close of the consultation, publication of the final catalogue text, its effective date, and any parallel responses from Washington or Brussels.