China’s export control system: overview and impact on EU traders

In recent years, China has established a comprehensive export control and sanctions regime that protects national security interests and influences international trade relations. This article provides a brief overview of the legal framework, controlled items, licensing procedures, sanction mechanisms, and current developments in China’s export controls as well as their impact on EU traders.
Related content
Territorial import bans: the ban set by origin, and the proof that lifts it
What a territorial import ban is, the EU bans in force, and how goods clear one - by proving, in the right form, that they do not originate in the…
EU sanctions: where listed and what consequences
On 23 July 2026, the Council of the European Union formally adopted its 21st package of restrictive measures against Russia - the largest single round of designations since the full-scale…
Exporter of dual-use items: a definition that changes with the regulation
Who counts as the exporter differs across the customs code, the dual-use regulation and the anti-torture regulation - and naming the wrong one can leave an export unlicensed.
EU sanctions: the goods they restrict, and the national rules on top
How EU sanctions restrict goods by commodity code, the national measures member states add on top, who must comply, and the penalties - the full EU picture for traders.
EU sanctioned persons: who you cannot pay, supply or trade with
Who is an EU sanctioned person, who designates them, and what is prohibited - including the 50% ownership rule that catches companies on no list, and the penalties.
International sanctions: who sets them, who they bind
What international sanctions are, who imposes them at the UN, how they enter EU and UK law, and why a single company sits on the EU, UK and US lists…