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China's 2027 Export Quota Rules: What Foreign Founders Need to Know
China's Ministry of Commerce has published its 2027 export quota volumes and application procedures for seven categories of goods. Here is a practical breakdown for foreign founders operating or registering a company in China.
China Sets 2027 Export Quota Volumes for Seven Goods
China's Ministry of Commerce has issued its announcement on the total 2027 export quota volumes and the related quota administration rules. The announcement, numbered 2026 No. 53, was issued on October 25, 2026, and published on the ministry's website on October 29, 2026. It is grounded in China's Foreign Trade Law, the regulations on the administration of import and export of goods, and the rules governing export commodity quotas and quota bidding.
For foreign founders whose China-based companies trade in any of the affected goods, the announcement sets the volumes available for 2027, the application window, and the licensing steps that follow. The rules apply to foreign trade operators — a category that includes foreign-invested companies properly registered in China.
The 2027 Quota Volumes
The announcement fixes the following 2027 export quotas:
- Licorice and licorice products: 5.2 million kilograms
- Artificially cultivated ephedra for medicinal use: 1.0804 million kilograms
- Live pigs (to Hong Kong and Macao): 1.6054 million head
- Live cattle (to Hong Kong and Macao): 22,000 head
- Live chickens (to Hong Kong): 3 million birds
- Sawn timber: 150,000 cubic meters
- Rush grass and rush grass products: 14 million kilograms
Founders should note that several of these quotas are region-specific — the live animal quotas are tied to Hong Kong and Macao supply arrangements rather than global trade. Others, such as sawn timber and licorice, are relevant to a broader set of trading businesses.
How the Licensing Chain Works
The announcement describes a two-step process. First, a foreign trade operator intending to export any of the listed goods must apply to the Ministry of Commerce for a quota — either a global quota or a regional quota. Second, once the operator holds a quota certificate or a winning bid certificate from a quota tender, it can apply for a People's Republic of China export license. The export license is then presented to customs to complete declaration and release formalities for the goods.
In practice, this means a company cannot simply ship these goods on the strength of a commercial contract alone. The quota and the export license are both required before customs clearance.
Application Window and Procedure
For quotas to be allocated in 2027 — excluding those distributed by tender — the application period runs from November 1, 2026, to November 15, 2026. Applicants must submit their materials to the provincial-level commerce authority in the locality where they are based. That authority reviews and verifies the materials and then forwards them to the Ministry of Commerce.
Foreign founders should map out which provincial-level authority has jurisdiction over their registered location well before the window opens. The announcement defines “provincial-level commerce authorities” as those of the provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, as well as those of cities with independent planning status and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.
After receiving applications, the Ministry of Commerce reviews them in accordance with the law and is to allocate quotas to qualifying applicants by December 15, 2026.
Bidding Route for Licorice and Rush Grass
Not all quotas follow the standard application route. Licorice and licorice products, and rush grass and rush grass products, are allocated through a bidding process. The conditions and procedures for those bids will be published separately. Founders trading in these categories should watch for that separate announcement rather than rely on the November application window.
Phosphate Rock and Silver: Quota Suspended, License Still Required
The announcement also addresses two goods for which quota management remains suspended in 2027: phosphate rock and silver. These are instead subject to export license administration. A qualifying foreign trade operator exporting phosphate rock or silver may apply for an export license on the strength of a valid export contract. For silver exported under processing trade arrangements, the prescribed rules apply. As with the quota goods, the export license must be presented to customs for declaration and release.
For founders, the practical point is that suspension of the quota does not mean the goods flow freely — the licensing requirement continues, and the export contract becomes the key supporting document.
Practical Takeaways for Foreign Founders
- Check whether your goods are listed. The seven quota categories and the two license-only goods are a defined list; confirm your product classification before planning shipments.
- Calendar the deadlines. The 2026 application window (November 1–15) and the December 15, 2026 allocation deadline fall before the 2027 quota year begins, so preparation must start early.
- Identify the right filing channel. Applications go through the provincial-level commerce authority where the company is based, not directly to Beijing.
- Watch for the tender rules. If you trade licorice or rush grass products, the bidding conditions will be published separately.
- Keep documentation ready. Quota certificates, bid-winning certificates, export licenses, and — for phosphate rock and silver — valid export contracts all feed into customs clearance.
Because the announcement deals only with quota volumes and procedures, it does not set out eligibility criteria in detail beyond the requirement to apply as a foreign trade operator. Founders should review the underlying laws and regulations cited in the announcement, and the separate bidding rules where relevant, before committing to export plans.
This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Foreign founders who need support registering a company in China or managing export licensing and quota applications can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp or WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535.