Provisions of the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China on the Export of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

According to the search results, the provisions of the Ministry of Commerce on the export of drones are mainly reflected in notice on Optimizing and Adjusting Export Control Measures for UAVs issued on July 31, 2024. The announcement was jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs and the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission, and will be officially implemented from September 1, 2024. The following are the main contents of the regulations:

### **1. Scope of Control**

the following items may not be exported without permission:

-**Aero-engine**: An aero-engine with a maximum continuous power exceeding 16 kW (kW) specially used for specific unmanned aerial vehicles or unmanned airships.

-**Load equipment**: includes infrared imaging equipment, synthetic aperture radar, lasers for target indication and inertial measurement equipment, subject to specific specifications.

-Infrared imaging equipment: the wavelength range is between 780 nanometers and 30000 nanometers, and the instantaneous field of view angle is less than 2.5 milliradians.

-Synthetic Aperture Radar: The operating range is greater than 5 kilometers, and the resolution of the strip mode is better than 0.3 meters or the resolution of the beam mode is better than 0.1 meters.

-Laser: It needs to work stably in an environment higher than 55 degrees Celsius, with an energy greater than 80 mJ, and a beam divergence angle less than 0.3 mrad.

-Inertial measurement equipment: heading accuracy is less than 2 degrees, attitude accuracy is less than 0.5 degrees, and resolution is less than 0.1 degrees.

-**Radio communication equipment**: The radio line-of-sight transmission distance is greater than 50 kilometers, or the capacity of one station to control multiple machines is greater than 10.

-**Civil Anti-UAV System**: Electronic jamming equipment with an interference range greater than 5 kilometers, or high-power lasers with an output power greater than 1.5 kW.

### **2. Prohibited export use**

UAVs not included in the control list or not subject to temporary control may not be exported if the exporter knows or should know that they will be used for the following purposes:

-Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction;

-Terrorist activities;

-Military purposes.

### **3. Export licensing procedures**

-**Application Materials**: Export operators are required to submit the following documents to the Ministry of Commerce through the provincial commerce authorities:

1. export contracts or agreements;

2. Technical description or test report of the items to be exported;

3. End-user and end-use certificates;

4. Presentation of importers and end-users;

5. Proof of identity of the applicant and the agent.

-**Review and permit**: The Ministry of Commerce will review the application after receiving it, review it with relevant departments if necessary, and make a decision on whether to permit it within the statutory time limit. Exports that have a significant impact on national security are subject to approval by the State Council.

### **4. Policy Background and Purpose**

-**Background**: With the rapid development of UAV technology, there is a risk that some high-performance civilian UAVs will be converted to military use. As a major producer and exporter of UAVs, China needs to strengthen export control to safeguard national security and interests.

-**Purpose**: To prevent the use of drones and related technologies for military purposes, terrorist activities or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, while supporting exports for legitimate civilian purposes.

### **5. Other Provisions**

-**Temporary controls**: Temporary export controls on some consumer drones for a period of two years.

-**Legal Liability**: Those who export without permission, export beyond the permitted scope, or have other illegal circumstances will be given administrative penalties in accordance with the law; if a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility will be investigated.

### **Summary**

the optimization and adjustment of the UAV export control policy reflects China's responsible attitude in safeguarding national security and fulfilling international obligations, and also provides clear guidelines for the export of legitimate civilian purposes. If you need to further understand the specific technical parameters or application process, you can refer to the original text of the relevant announcement or consult the competent department of commerce.