China's New Export Control Law: A Fact Sheet With Practical Applications

On October 17, 2020, the Export Control Law of the People's Republic of China (“EC Law”) was finally promulgated after three rounds of deliberation by the 13^thNational People's Congress. The new EC Law will take effect on December 1, 2020. The new EC Law unifies China's regulatory system of export control in order to safeguard its national security and interests, fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation, and strengthen and standardize export control requirements.

The emergence of China's EC Law is significant because it represents the first effort of its kind to launch a unified and comprehensive export control regime. Unlike the United States, China's approach to trade controls has historically involved merely scattered provisions on import and export controls across various laws and administrative rules. The new EC Law is a strategic pivot for the country as it matures in its view of its own national security and its place in the world as a