by Laura Varley
19 Oct 2026
Image: © lovelyday12/Stock.adobe.com
In a statement, China’s Ministry of Commerce, explained that far greater oversight is needed for technologies with the potential to impact sensitive sectors.
According to Reuters, China’s Ministry of Commerce has proposed applying export controls to 12 different technologies used to manufacture solar equipment, the group also suggested conducting a broader review of both biotechnology and AI tech. 
The Ministry of Commerce raised concerns about photovoltaic technology, that is tech that can create power from light, being used in highly sensitive areas, such as the aerospace industry and for national defence. 
According to the Ministry, export restrictions would guard against the out of control or improper use of technology, while also protecting standard international exchanges and cooperation methods. 
Tech impacted under the new proposal could include some of those used to ⁠make perovskite and tandem solar cells, as well as large-scale fluidized-bed polysilicon production technologies. 
Perovskite is a newer technology that offers increased conversion efficiency and tandem cells combined with perovskite and silicon layers can reportedly capture more sunlight. 
China would also seek to restrict the exportation of advanced solar cell manufacturing technologies, ​including TOPCon, HJT and XBC.
This is occurring in a landscape where many countries are aiming to build upon their energy and tech sovereignty. There is a block on the export of solar-manufacturing technology to India, as a means of maintaining dominance, at a time when India is looking to diminish its own manufacturing reliance on China.   
In March of this year German battery and raw materials recycling start-up Tozero opened a new industrial plant for the production of domestic lithium and graphite, as a means of reducing Europe’s dependence on China for materials. 
The new facility in Munich is capable of processing 1,500 tonnes of waste per year by turning end-of-life lithium ion batteries into domestic supplies of lithium, graphite and nickel-cobalt blends for use in electric vehicles, grid-scale storage and industrial electrification.
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Related: manufacturing, China, energy, solar, government & policy
Laura Varley is the Careers editor for Silicon Republic
editorial@siliconrepublic.com
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