China’s Ministry of Commerce (Mofcom) and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) have proposed prohibiting exports of selected high-efficiency perovskite and tandem solar manufacturing technologies, alongside new restrictions on advanced polysilicon, wafer and crystalline-silicon cell production know-how.
The proposals, published on Oct. 16 under Joint Announcement No. 48 of 2026, would add 12 photovoltaic technologies to China’s Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export. They are part of a broader consultation covering 40 technologies across sectors including solar energy, artificial intelligence and biomedicine. The public consultation runs until Nov. 15.
The proposed export bans cover production processes and related equipment manufacturing technologies for perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells based on wafers measuring at least 182 mm and achieving conversion efficiencies of 30% or higher. They also include slot-die coating processes for perovskites with coating widths of at least 1.1 meters.
Additional thresholds apply to large-area modules, including single-junction perovskite modules measuring at least 1 square meter with conversion efficiencies of 18% or higher, and perovskite tandem modules of the same minimum area with efficiencies of at least 28%. The proposed controls target manufacturing technologies meeting these specifications rather than exports of finished modules.
Other technologies proposed for prohibition include cold-hydrogenation fluidized-bed processes for trichlorosilane production with annual single-line capacities of at least 250,000 metric tons, and silane-based fluidized-bed processes with annual capacities of at least 20,000 metric tons. The draft also covers processes for manufacturing silicon wafers no thicker than 70 micrometers and certain edge-passivation technologies for thin crystalline-silicon cells, along with related equipment manufacturing know-how.
The proposed restricted-export category includes polysilicon plant engineering technologies for production lines with annual capacities of at least 30,000 metric tons, as well as advanced crystal-pulling and wafer-cutting processes.
It also covers specified high-performance manufacturing processes for tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon), back-contact (BC) and heterojunction (HJT) solar cells, including deposition, passivation, diffusion and metallization technologies. The HJT provisions include certain p-type technologies evaluated under air mass zero (AM0) illumination conditions relevant to space applications.
Under China’s technology import and export regulations, prohibited technologies cannot be exported, while restricted technologies can be transferred overseas only with government approval and the necessary licenses.
The proposed export bans and licensing requirements have not yet taken effect. However, a separate interim registration requirement took effect on Oct. 16, when the announcement was issued.
Companies must register planned exports of the listed technologies, including qualifying key equipment, through the Mofcom’s online system before transfer. The requirement covers intellectual property transfers, overseas technology licensing, changes in ownership or control involving foreign entities, and transactions that are underway but have not yet been completed.
The Mofcom said the proposals address national security concerns as photovoltaic technologies increasingly find applications in aerospace, defense and other sensitive sectors. The ministry said technologies that fall below the specified thresholds, as well as finished products manufactured using controlled technologies, are outside the proposed scope. It added that the measures do not target any particular country, region or company.
If adopted, the controls could reinforce China’s position in advanced PV manufacturing by limiting overseas access to some of its most sophisticated production technologies.
Although exports of finished solar cells and modules would not be directly affected, transfers of controlled manufacturing know-how through technology licensing, overseas production-line installation and commissioning, equipment exports and on-site technical support could be prohibited or subject to government approval.
In the near term, the measures could delay overseas PV manufacturing projects, increase compliance costs and limit the deployment of advanced Chinese production technologies abroad. Over the longer term, the restrictions could strengthen China’s influence over the international diffusion of next-generation PV manufacturing technologies, potentially slowing efforts by overseas manufacturers to close the technological gap.
However, tighter controls could also complicate Chinese manufacturers’ international expansion plans and heighten trade tensions or prompt retaliatory measures.
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