Import and Export Rules on Commercial Encryption Items Take Effect in January

The Ministry of Commerce, the State Cryptography Agency and the General Administration of Customs have jointly published new rules relating to import licensing and export controls on commercial encryption items. The new rules take effect from 1 January 2021 (Announcement No. 63 [2020]).

The list of commercial encryption items subject to import licensing requirements covers four product categories: encrypted phones, encrypted fax machines, cipher machines and encryption VPN hardware devices.

The list of commercial encryption items subject to export controls, meanwhile, also covers four product categories: (a) systems, devices and components; (b) devices for testing, inspection and manufacturing; (c) software relating to the research and development, manufacture or use of commercial encryption items covered by (a) or (b); and (d) technologies relating to the R&D, manufacture or use of items covered by (a), (b) or (c).

Source: Ministry of Commerce