China adds two chemicals to export licence catalogue

China added two chemicals to a controlled catalogue, affecting exporters sending covered goods to listed destinations.

What happened

China’s Ministry of Commerce and four other agencies issued Announcement No. 40 on 22 September 2026. It added methyl and ethyl 1-phenethyl-4-oxo-3-piperidinecarboxylate to Part I of a catalogue of precursor chemicals. The announcement says exports of Part I chemicals to the United States, Mexico or Canada require an export licence under the cited provisions. It also describes a separate Part II destination group covering Myanmar, Laos and Afghanistan. The change took effect on the announcement date. We did not open the catalogue annexes, so it does not reproduce the full chemical lists or assign HS codes to the newly added substances.

Key facts

• China’s Ministry of Commerce and four other agencies issued Announcement No. 40.
• The announcement added two named chemicals to Part I of the catalogue.
• The announced and effective date was 22 September 2026.
• The announcement names the United States, Mexico and Canada as destinations relevant to Part I export licensing.

What it means for traders

• Check whether your chemical matches the catalogue entry and destination group.
• Confirm the licence application process with the issuing authority before arranging a covered shipment.
• The source does not state HS codes for the added chemicals. Check the official notice and annex.

What we don't know

• The full annex lists were not opened by us.
• HS codes for the added chemicals are not stated in the source.

Source

Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China. Announced: 22 September 2026.

AI-assisted, source-verified. General information, not legal or customs advice.