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China imposed a temporary export prohibition on helium (customs code 2804.29.0010), effective immediately, through MOFCOM-GACC Joint Announcement No. 29 of 2026, issued July 10. The ban covers all destinations, states no end date and provides no exemptions. Its legal basis is the Foreign Trade Law rather than the Export Control Law, and the stated rationale is protecting domestic supply as renewed Middle East conflict disrupts global helium flows; China imports over 80% of its helium. Helium is critical to semiconductor manufacturing as a cooling and purge gas, so the measure lands hardest on chip-adjacent supply chains. It is China's first new trade countermeasure since the June 22 export-control list additions covering 10 US firms and the June 24 supply-chain investigation rules.
Procedures & reviewsExport controls
Coverage: Export country CN → Import country All · HS 28
Houthi forces resumed attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea after a months-long lull — the first sustained attacks since late 2025. On July 5 a bulker came under gunfire about 30 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, with the crew safe; on July 6 the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulker Magic Seas was attacked 51 nautical miles southwest of Al-Hudaydah with drones, missiles, RPGs and small arms — the crew of 22 abandoned ship and the vessel sank, as confirmed by Houthi-released video. On July 7 the Greek-owned Eternity C was attacked by UAVs and RPG-armed speedboats and sank on July 9; 4 crew were killed and 11 mariners, Indian and Filipino, were seized and remained in Houthi custody as of July 10. The Houthis declared a ban on ships they deem 'Israeli-linked,' and US MARAD issued advisory 2026-006 for the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden. Suez containership transits were already about 60% below pre-crisis levels — roughly 26 per week versus about 80 — and Maersk had re-diverted select services via the Cape of Good Hope from March 2026. The sinkings entrench Cape routing, which typically adds 10-14 days of transit plus higher fuel and war-risk premiums on Asia-Europe and Asia-US East Coast lanes.
Procedures & reviews
Coverage: Export country All → Import country All · HS All
MOFCOM Announcement No. 24 of 2026 (June 24) published the Working Measures for Industrial and Supply Chain Security Investigations — the implementing procedures under State Council Order No. 834 (effective May 1, 2026). The measures establish a §301-style investigative mechanism on the Chinese side, aimed at foreign countries, regions, or international organizations that impose discriminatory prohibitions or restrictions on Chinese supply chains, with legal basis in the National Security Law, Foreign Relations Law, Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, and Foreign Trade Law. Investigation tools include questioning, document seizure and copying, public solicitation of leads, questionnaires, technical evaluation, hearings, and on-site investigation; Chinese firms can petition MOFCOM in writing with evidence via a private-complaint channel. The outcome menu spans prohibiting or restricting imports/exports of goods, technology and services trade, a novel 'special fees' instrument, and Anti-Foreign-Sanctions-Law sanctions. As a companion enforcement signal, MOFCOM Announcement No. 26 (June 24, effective July 1) created a whistleblower reporting-and-reward mechanism for strategic-minerals export-control violations — unlicensed exports, disguising controlled items as components, third-country transshipment, and providing logistics, customs, e-commerce or financial services to unlawful exports. On June 18, the chairman of a major Chinese precision-optics company was placed under compulsory measures by Shanghai Customs for falsely declaring germanium-containing lenses as 'ordinary optical glass'.
TariffsProcedures & reviewsExport controls
Coverage: Export country CN → Import country All · HS All
On March 31, 2026, China's State Council promulgated Order No. 834 — the Provisions on the Security of Industrial and Supply Chains — the PRC's first dedicated framework regulation for industrial and supply-chain security. The order, jointly enforced by MOFCOM and MIIT, provides the legal basis for sanctioning foreign companies, applies a 50% Rule for products incorporating controlled components, and embeds extraterritorial jurisdiction under the October 2025 export-control framework (extraterritorial enforcement deferred until November 2026). Effective May 1, 2026. The order serves as China's structural response to US trade-tool escalation through 2026 — paralleling §301 / §232 / IEEPA on the PRC retaliatory side.
TariffsExport controls
Coverage: Export country CN → Import country All · HS All
Effective January 1, 2026, China's updated Import-Export Licensing Catalogue added samarium, gadolinium, and lutetium compounds — plus silver — to the rare-earth and strategic-materials export licensing list. Mechanism is licensing, not embargo — buyers can still source these materials, but only through suppliers holding valid MOFCOM export licenses. Administered jointly by MOFCOM and MIIT. The expansion follows the October 2025 framework that introduced extraterritorial jurisdiction and the '50% Rule' for products containing controlled components (extraterritorial enforcement delayed until November 2026). Previously controlled rare earths include yttrium, scandium, neodymium, indium, dysprosium, gallium, and germanium.
Export controls
Coverage: Export country CN → Import country All · HS 28