China Proposes Export Controls on Solar-Manufacturing Technologies

3-line summary

• China's Ministry of Commerce proposed adding 12 solar-equipment manufacturing technologies to its export-control list Friday, as part of a broader revision that also covers AI and biotechnology; the proposal would fully ban export of certain thin-wafer manufacturing techniques, perovskite and tandem solar-cell technology, and large-scale fluidized-bed polysilicon production technology, while restricting (but not banning) advanced cell-manufacturing technologies including TOPCon, HJT, and XBC.
• The ministry said solar technology is increasingly used in sensitive fields such as aerospace and defense, warranting tighter controls to prevent technology from going out of control or spreading inappropriately; public comment on the proposal closes November 15, and exporters must register certain overseas technology transfers before the list is formally revised.
• Reuters reported in April that Chinese officials had held preliminary talks with manufacturers about restricting advanced solar-panel manufacturing technology; China has separately limited solar-manufacturing technology exports to India, which is trying to build domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on China, while the report said US companies including Tesla could see their domestic production plans affected.

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