General Administration of Customs
China's national customs authority; enforces Beijing's export licences, including drone-part controls from November 2026.
China's customs administration co-issued MOFCOM Announcement No. 49 on 19 October 2026. From 18 November its officers enforce licences for drone autopilots, heavy-lift motors, swarm radios and drone jet engines shipped to buyers in any country.
Last refreshed: 26 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
From 18 November China's customs checks drone-part licences; who gets stopped?
Timeline for General Administration of Customs
Mentioned in: China licenses drone parts for any buyer
Drones: Industry & DefenceBackground
The General Administration of Customs is the ministry-level agency under China's State Council that runs the country's customs and enforces export controls at the border. Sun Meijun heads it, succeeding Yu Jianhua, who died in December 2024.
On 19 October 2026 The Administration co-issued MOFCOM Announcement No. 49 with the commerce ministry and the Central Military Commission's equipment department. From 18 November, exporters need a licence to ship drone autopilots, heavy-lift motors, swarm radios and drone jet engines to buyers in any country, and customs enforces the rule at the border.
The October rule extends August 2026's US-only licensing to every destination, widening what customs officers must check. Because each licence names the buyer and end user, the border checks feed Beijing a record of who abroad builds drones with Chinese parts.
When do China's drone-part export licences start?
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What does China's General Administration of Customs do?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 26 October 2026. Editorial standards.