China Proposes Export Restrictions Across 40 AI, Biopharma, and Solar Technologies

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) released a draft amendment to the Catalogue of Technology Prohibited or Restricted for Export on 16 October 2026. The proposed update covers 40 technologies across artificial intelligence, biopharmaceuticals, and solar cell manufacturing, requiring exporters to register before export and secure government licenses for restricted items.

The AI category encompasses 23 technologies, prohibiting exports of large-scale models trained on core data or designed for critical information infrastructure. Restricted items include frontier models with high computing power and 2 trillion or more parameters, such as Alibaba's 2.4-trillion-parameter Qwen3.8-Max. Carve-outs and automatic licensing are provided for open-source releases, API access, SaaS deployments, and overseas data center operations.

The biopharma section covers five technologies, restricting proprietary discovery platforms for cell and gene therapies and small interfering RNA (siRNA) drugs, while exempting outbound licensing without ownership transfers. In solar manufacturing, 12 technologies face restrictions or prohibitions, including production methods for perovskite and tandem solar modules, silicon wafers under 70 micrometers, and TOPCon and XBC solar cell equipment. Public consultation on the draft measures runs until 15 November 2026.