Drones and their core components exported from China are subject to the Export Control Law of the People’s Republic of China and Announcement No. 31 of the Ministry of Commerce. Drones are divided into controlled items (license required) and non-controlled consumer items (no dual-use license required). All export activities must comply with official customs declaration rules and end-use verification requirements.
- Controlled Drones & Components (Mandatory Export License)
A valid Dual-Use Item and Technology Export License issued by the Ministry of Commerce is mandatory before customs declaration if the drone or core parts meet any of the following standards. No goods are allowed to be exported without a license.
1.1 Controlled Drone Aircraft
- Flight endurance ≥ 1 hour
- Empty weight ≥ 4KG / Maximum takeoff weight ≥ 7KG
- Equipped with autonomous cluster flight, long-distance mapping, cargo dropping, or professional plant protection capabilities
- Large plant protection and cargo delivery drones
1.2 Controlled Core Components (Separate License Required)
- Aero-engine with power over 16kW
- High-precision inertial navigation and professional flight control systems
- Infrared payloads, synthetic aperture radar, long-distance image transmission modules
- Counter-drone equipment and related core accessories
Note: Cross-border e-commerce retail exports and separate component sales are also fully regulated.
- Non-Controlled Consumer Drones (No Dual-Use License)
Entry-level consumer aerial photography drones that fully meet all the following conditions are exempted from the dual-use export license and can be declared directly:
- Flight endurance < 1 hour
- Empty weight < 4KG, maximum takeoff weight < 7KG
- No professional mapping, cargo delivery, cluster flight, or military-grade long-distance sensing payloads
Universal Red Line: All exported drones are prohibited from being supplied to military parties or used for military, anti-terrorism, or weapons-of-mass-destruction-related purposes, regardless of whether a license is required.
- Mandatory Documents for All Drone Exports
The following documents are required for both controlled and non-controlled drones for customs clearance:
- Basic customs documents: Sales contract, commercial invoice, packing list
- Battery compliance documents: MSDS certificate, UN38.3 aviation safety report, dangerous goods packaging certificate (for sea freight)
- Customs declaration update (Official 2026 Rule): Mark clearly on the declaration form whether the product is a controlled item, with complete technical parameters (endurance, weight, payload)
- Overseas market access certificates (as required): CE, FCC and other regional certification documents
- License Application Materials for Controlled Drones
- Enterprise import and export operation qualification
- Official sales contract and complete product technical parameter report
- Overseas end-user & end-use certificate (civil use only, no military transfer commitment)
- Qualification documents of overseas importers and consignees
Application channel: Submit materials to the provincial Department of Commerce for review and final approval by the Ministry of Commerce.
- Penalties for Non-Compliant Export
- Unlicensed export of controlled drones: Customs detention, goods confiscation, administrative fines; serious cases constitute criminal smuggling of dual-use items
- False parameter declaration or fraudulent end-use certification: Enterprise blacklisting, suspension of foreign trade qualifications
- Transit via Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and other channels is fully supervised; unlicensed goods will be detained
- Quick Export Judgment Process
- Check core parameters: endurance, weight, and functional payload
- Apply for a dual-use export license if it meets controlled standards
- Prepare battery compliance files and complete parameter declaration for non-controlled consumer drones
- Retain civil end-user commitment files for permanent record