China's Commerce Ministry said it is adding a dozen solar related technologies and key equipment to its export control list to protect national security and interests. The update sits inside a larger overhaul that touches 40 priority technologies, including areas tied to artificial intelligence and biopharma. Officials also said the changes followed talks with industry and apply to a relatively small number of technologies.
Beijing's new rules block the export of production know how for perovskite and for tandem solar modules. The emerging technology delivers higher efficiency and can be used for space based solar. On top of that, certain technologies used to produce polysilicon, a crucial solar raw material, will face export restrictions.
"In recent years, the application of solar technology in sensitive fields such as aerospace, national defense, unmanned equipment, and high-security-level infrastructure has been continuously expanding," the ministry said. "The national security risks that may be caused by the export of solar technology have been constantly rising. It is necessary to implement timely and appropriate supervision." Beijing also said it will continue to back cross-border collaboration and knowledge-sharing in climate-friendly technologies.
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The timing coincides with pushes in the US and India to expand domestic solar factories and reduce reliance on Chinese vendors, who still control a large share of the world's photovoltaic supply chain. Even so, BloombergNEF notes that companies there still depend on China for certain critical materials, equipment, and technologies. In plain English: investors tracking solar hardware and inputs now have one more policy variable to monitor as supply chains evolve.
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