BEIJING / RankWire.AI / – China’s Ministry of Commerce announced a series of new measures on Wednesday aimed at curbing certain exports and restricting dealings with American organizations. Effective from August 5, these regulations tighten oversight on drone-related exports and limit transactions with seven U.S. entities. According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, exporters will now require approval to ship controlled drones, key components, and related technologies to the United States. The new directive does not completely halt all Chinese drone exports but subjects covered items to more detailed case-by-case scrutiny within China’s existing dual-use export control framework.
Simplified licensing methods are no longer available for shipments destined for the U.S. market. Authorities will conduct individual assessments of each product, buyer, end user, and purpose before granting approval. Existing regulations already regulate certain drone engines, communication modules, sensors, and counter-unmanned aircraft equipment. China also bans the export of civilian drones for military applications. The latest regulation introduces an explicit review process for specific drone products and technologies heading to the United States.
Additionally, Beijing has prohibited Chinese entities and individuals from engaging in business with six U.S. organizations. These include Applied DNA Sciences, Stratum Reservoir, Altana Technologies, the Responsible Business Alliance, Verité Group, and Human Rights in China. Officials attributed these bans to U.S. measures related to alleged forced labor in Xinjiang. A separate restriction was imposed on Compliance Testing LLC, an Arizona-based testing firm, which China claims supported FCC actions impacting Chinese tech companies.
Drone export restrictions are part of a larger strategy
China has also initiated a national security review into imported printers, copiers, and multifunction office machines. The investigation encompasses devices containing operating systems, drivers, or embedded software developed or maintained by foreign firms. The Ministry of Commerce will evaluate import quantities, domestic demand, supply reliance, and national security issues. The process may involve questionnaires, hearings, factory inspections, and commissioned research, with a maximum duration of 12 months, extendable under specific circumstances.
Another recent decision altered the inspection procedures within China’s mandatory product certification system. The State Administration for Market Regulation has prohibited designated Chinese certification bodies from assigning follow-up factory inspections to U.S.-based organizations. These inspections are essential for maintaining product certification for the Chinese market. Moving forward, companies must utilize approved alternative inspection providers when factory evaluations are required. This order does not revoke existing certifications nor does it impose an overall ban on U.S. products entering China.
Beijing links the measures to recent U.S. restrictions
The Chinese government connected these countermeasures to recent moves by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC has limited approvals for certain new foreign-made drones and critical components entering the U.S. market. Additionally, U.S. authorities expanded restrictions under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, adding 43 Chinese entities to the law’s enforcement list on July 31. Products associated with these entities are presumed inadmissible into the United States under the law.
The Chinese authorities described the new measures as proportionate responses, urging Washington to rescind the restrictions announced. The drone export rules, entity bans, and certification adjustments became effective immediately, while the office equipment investigation also commenced on August 5. None of these actions explicitly target a specific Chinese drone manufacturer or ban all drone exports to the U.S.; instead, they focus on controlled products, particular American organizations, and foreign-linked software used in imported office devices.