China announced a new batch of dual-use export control measures on Monday, placing tunnel boring machines under export controls for the first time and adjusting the rules governing dredgers and drones. The measures take effect on November 18.
The Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs said the controls on tunnel boring machines cover shield machines, rock tunnel boring machines and other large engineering equipment, along with key components and related technology. Walking excavators capable of operating in complex terrain and wet-spraying machines suited to high-altitude work are also included.
The two agencies also revised controls on dredger-related items, focusing on key equipment and parts such as mud pumps, drag heads and cutter heads, and clarified the technical specifications.
In a separate notice, issued jointly with the Central Military Commission’s Equipment Development Department, authorities refined the technical standards for controlled drones. Drones that can be flown beyond the operator’s natural line of sight, have a maximum endurance of 30 minutes to three hours, and can take off and fly stably in gusts above 46.3 kilometers per hour require a license for export, as do similar drones with endurance of three hours or more. The adjustment also eases some exports: drones meeting certain endurance and wind-resistance standards can be registered to obtain an export certificate before each shipment instead of applying for a regular license each time, and drones sent to non-defense, non-police exhibitions and returned unchanged afterward may also use registration.
A commerce ministry spokesperson said the items have clear dual-use characteristics and that the controls accord with international practice and help meet non-proliferation obligations. The spokesperson added that Beijing is willing to discuss export control policy with other parties through bilateral dialogue mechanisms. On drones, the spokesperson said some formerly advanced products have become mass consumer goods, and that China opposes the misuse of drones for non-peaceful purposes while supporting civilian drone trade.
A July report by a Chinese industry research institute put China’s global market share in tunnel boring machines at about 70 percent, with annual output of more than 700 units. Another think tank projected that China’s 2025 shield machine exports would reach US$4.5 billion, mainly going to Southeast Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), October 19, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202610190263.aspx