China proposes export controls on 23 AI technologies and requires export registration in the meantime
A draft revision of China's export catalogue adds 40 technologies across AI, photovoltaics and biomedicine. Exporters must register listed technologies now, while comments run to November 15.
China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology published a draft revision of the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export on October 16. It adds 40 technologies: 23 in AI, 12 in photovoltaics and 5 in biomedicine. Fourteen go into the prohibited category and 26 into the restricted one, Global Times reports. Public comments are open from October 16 to November 15.
What's on the AI list
Proposed prohibitions include core technologies of large models trained on national key sensitive data, and AI agents serving key national information infrastructure, defense and core government affairs. Restricted items include 2.5D and 3D AI chip design and voiceprint recognition. According to a translation of the announcement by Geopolitechs, exporters must register listed technologies before exporting them, starting immediately and covering exports already under way, until the revised catalogue takes effect. Technologies already public through open source or published papers are excluded, and the same translation says API access, apps and SaaS built on large models are not treated as exports. A Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said the revision "does not target any specific country or region."
Why it matters
If your company licenses AI technology from a Chinese developer, or plans joint work with one, a transfer that was routine last week may now need registration first. The carve-out for API and SaaS access means most companies only calling a Chinese model's API should see no change.