China's export rules for machine tools from June 2026
From 30 June 2026, China Customs Announcement No. 77 requires exporters of lathes, milling machines, grinding machines and similar material-processing equipment to state whether each item is export-controlled, fill in the control declaration elements, name the overseas buyer in full and attach the contract, invoice and technical documents. It adds paperwork and can add time.
From 30 June 2026 China Customs requires fuller export declarations for lathes, milling and grinding machines and similar equipment. What UK buyers should do.
What the announcement says
China's General Administration of Customs issued Announcement No. 77 of 2026 under China's Export Control Law and Customs Law. It applies to lathes, milling machines, grinding machines and material-processing production equipment with similar functions, and it took effect on 30 June 2026.
The announcement sets how these goods are declared for export. The exporter is responsible for the truth, completeness and accuracy of the declaration, and it must:
state in the remarks field whether the goods are export-controlled items, giving the dual-use control code if they are, and stating that they are not controlled items where the goods are close to the controlled specifications but not controlled;
fill in the restricted-goods identification code and declaration elements for the goods' declaration category;
give the overseas consignee's full name in Chinese or English, and on cross-border e-commerce declarations the real Chinese manufacturer or seller rather than a platform, with no simplified four-digit code;
attach the contract, invoice and technical documents to a standard declaration, all consistent with the declaration and the logistics information.
Why it can add time
The announcement says customs speeds up compliant goods with complete declaration elements, but where it doubts the truth of the declaration it will raise a query, and the goods are not released while the query is open. For a buyer, that means the China side of the shipment depends on the exporter's paperwork being right first time.
The announcement is about declarations. It does not itself add items to China's control list, so an ordinary workshop machine still ships, but with more information attached.
What a UK buyer should do
Give the exporter your company's full legal name and address exactly as it should appear, and make sure the contract, proforma and invoice all use it. Ask the exporter how it will declare your machine, and whether it considers the machine controlled or not.
Make sure the seller on the contract is the company that will export. If the proforma names one company and the bank or export licence shows another, resolve it before paying; our guide on what to check before paying the balance covers that.
Allow extra time between the balance and the vessel, and do not let a tight shipping date push you into paying before inspection.
Which machines this touches
Metal-cutting lathes, milling machines and grinders are named in the announcement. It also covers equipment with similar functions, so ask the exporter whether it treats machining centres or CNC routers as in scope; see our guides to CNC machining centres, lathes and CNC routers.
If you have a quote for a machine tool from China, we can check it before you pay, with a free preliminary review.
If you are buying a machine tool from China, see our machinery and equipment service.
Frequently asked questions
Does China's Announcement No. 77 ban machine tool exports?
No. It sets fuller export declaration requirements for lathes, milling machines, grinding machines and similar equipment from 30 June 2026; it does not itself add items to the control list.
When did the new rules start?
The announcement took effect on 30 June 2026.
What does the exporter need from me?
Your company's full legal name for the declaration, and a contract and invoice consistent with it, because the contract, invoice and technical documents are attached to the declaration.
Will it delay my machine?
It can. Customs speeds up complete, compliant declarations, but goods are not released while a query about a declaration is open.