China proposes export controls on 12 solar-manufacturing technologies

A draft with immediate registration

China’s commerce and science ministries published the proposal on October 16 as part of a wider update covering 40 technologies across solar power, artificial intelligence and biomedicine. The 12 photovoltaic entries would be added to China’s catalogue of technologies prohibited or restricted from export.

The proposed bans and licensing rules are not yet final, and public consultation runs through November 15. But an interim requirement already directs exporters to register planned transfers of the listed technologies, including intellectual-property deals, overseas licensing, qualifying equipment and technical support.

What the controls would cover

The prohibited category includes manufacturing know-how for selected high-efficiency perovskite and perovskite-silicon tandem cells, some ultra-thin silicon wafers and specified fluidized-bed polysilicon processes. Tandem cells layer perovskite with silicon to capture more of the light spectrum, while fluidized-bed production can make polysilicon more cheaply and with less energy than the dominant Siemens process.

Other technologies would be restricted rather than banned, meaning an overseas transfer could proceed with government approval and licenses. That group includes specified TOPCon, HJT and back-contact cell processes, as well as polysilicon plant engineering, crystal-pulling and wafer-cutting techniques.

The draft targets production knowledge and related transfers, not exports of finished solar cells or modules. Technologies below its technical thresholds would also remain outside the proposed scope.