China Tightens Export Controls on Strategic Dual-Use Minerals, Effective July 1, 2026

Published: Jul 10, 2026 16:34

Save

[SMM Magnesium Express] Announcement No. 26 of 2026 by the Ministry of Commerce, announcing relevant matters on further improving the reporting and handling of illegal and irregular export control of strategic mineral dual-use items, will be officially implemented from July 1, 2026. The announcement stated that in order to fully play the role of social supervision and crack down on illegal and irregular export control of strategic dual-use mineral items, in accordance with laws and regulations such as the Export Control Law of the People's Republic of China and the Foreign Trade Law of the People's Republic of China, the Ministry of Commerce has decided to further improve the reporting and handling of illegal and irregular export control of strategic dual-use mineral items.

The announcement lists thirteen types of reportable situations, including unauthorized export, exceeding the scope of the license, splitting parts to evade the license, bypassing third countries to evade control, and includes intermediaries who knowingly provide agency, customs declaration, financial and other services in the scope of accountability.

For magnesium exports, magnesium and its products have been included in the management of dual-use item export licenses since 2026. The new regulations significantly reduce the gray operation space such as false reporting, concealment, and transit. Especially with the continuous tightening of export controls on Japan, the export of high-purity magnesium products used for aluminum processing has come to a standstill; The situation of bypassing a third country to evade control is clearly listed as a reporting situation, which increases the risk of transit trade. Overall, magnesium exports are accelerating from "wide entry and wide exit" to "strict management and control", and compliant operation has become the bottom line for enterprise survival.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

1 hour ago

SMM Weekly Magnesium Report: Social Inventory Up 3.8% MoM, Speculative Sentiment Rises in Shaanxi

[SMM Weekly Magnesium Inventory Flash Report] This week, social inventory increased by 3.8% month-on-month, showing a slight inventory accumulation trend overall. Looking at different regions, inventories in Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Tianjin Port have all accumulated to varying degrees. In the Shaanxi region, speculative sentiment has strengthened, with some traders making small purchases at low prices and hoarding goods to wait and see the after-market. In the Shanxi region, the purchased goods of some traders have gradually flowed into warehouses. As for Tianjin Port, export orders have remained sluggish, and since the document submission deadline has not yet arrived, inventory reduction through export sales has been hindered, leading to inventory backlog. Overall, the digestion of circulating goods has been slow, and inventory pressure may persist.

1 hour ago

Magnesium Inventories Decline as Smelters Shut Down for Maintenance, Regional Disparities Evident

[SMM Weekly Magnesium Inventory Flash Report] This week, manufacturers' inventory decreased slightly by 0.95% compared to the previous week, and the domestic social inventory of magnesium ingots also declined slightly. Multiple smelters in the main production areas have concentrated on shutdown for maintenance, and the contraction of overall market supply has supported inventory reduction; however, regional differentiation is significant. Only a few enterprises in Fugu have actively cleared inventory and shipped goods, driving continuous accumulation of factory inventory in the Shaanxi region; in contrast, magnesium enterprises in Ningxia have a strong willingness to ship goods, with a prominent decline in local manufacturers' inventory, forming a sharp contrast in inventory trends between the two regions.

1 hour ago

Magnesium Production Declines 7.41% MoM as Plants Enter Maintenance Cycle, Output Expected to Further Contract

[SMM Weekly Magnesium Production Flash Report] From July 3 to July 9, the weekly production of the national sample magnesium plants was 23,419 tons, with a weekly operating rate of 76.83%, down 7.41% month-on-month. According to the survey, this week, multiple primary magnesium smelting enterprises have entered the shutdown and maintenance cycle, and the overall operating rate of the industry has significantly declined. A magnesium plant in Shanxi completed production and produced magnesium ingots last week, but the overall production reduction scale of the industry far exceeded the contribution of new production capacity, and the total production of primary magnesium continued to decline. The planned resumption time of enterprises undergoing centralized maintenance in Shaanxi during this round is mostly concentrated in mid-to-late July, and some manufacturers said that the resumption node will be flexibly adjusted according to the magnesium price market, and it is expected that the domestic primary magnesium output will continue to contract next week.

1 hour ago