New policies for automobile exports officially promulgated

On November 14, 2025, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the General Administration of Customs jointly issued the "Notice on Further Strengthening the Management of Used Car Exports." The notice clarifies that, starting January 1, 2026, for vehicles applying for export that are less than 180 days (inclusive) from their registration date, local commerce departments should guide local enterprises to submit a "Confirmation of After-Sales Service" issued by the vehicle manufacturer. This confirmation must include the country of export, vehicle information, information on after-sales service outlets, and be stamped with the manufacturer's official seal. Vehicles for which the above materials cannot be provided will not be issued an export license.

Furthermore, the notice standardizes the application and issuance of export licenses, requiring that the information submitted for the export license be completely consistent with the "Motor Vehicle Registration Certificate"; otherwise, the export license will not be issued. A dynamic management and exit mechanism for enterprises is also established, allowing used car export enterprises with dishonest behavior to be interviewed, ordered to rectify, and even have their export qualifications strictly controlled or restricted during the license approval process.

This policy primarily aims to curb the chaotic practice of exporting "zero-kilometer used cars" as new cars under the guise of used cars, thereby disrupting overseas price systems. It also seeks to shift the used car export industry's focus from "price competition" to "quality and service competition." For compliant businesses, this will create a more standardized market environment, which will benefit their long-term development.