China: Adopted Amended Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Technology Import and Export

On 8 January 2011, the State Council of the People's Republic of China promulgated the amended Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Technology Import and Export, pursuant to and implementing the Foreign Trade Law. The text outlines regulations for technology import management, including a catalogue of technologies prohibited or restricted from import, identifying the application process for technology import licenses and the relevant departments responsible for its management. The Regulations stipulate that a catalogue of technologies whose export is prohibited or restricted is maintained by the competent foreign economic and trade department of the State Council. The regulations specify that license applications for technologies subject to export restrictions are to be reviewed and decided upon within 30 working days. For freely exported technologies, contract registration management is implemented, and registration is not a condition for the contract to become effective. Violations of the regulations comport criminal punishment, confiscation of illegal income, fines 1 to 5 times the illegally obtained income, and license revocation. The Regulations come into effect on 1 January 2012.