Beijing, Oct 21:
China has announced new export controls on key industrial machinery, including tunnel-boring machines, in a move that could affect infrastructure projects in India. The restrictions, announced by China’s Ministry of Commerce, are scheduled to take effect on November 18.
The controls cover tunnel-boring machines and related equipment used in the construction of underground metro networks, railway tunnels and other major infrastructure projects. The measures also include walking excavators designed to operate in difficult terrain and specialised wet shotcrete machines used in high-altitude areas.
In addition, China has tightened controls on certain dredging equipment and components, including slurry pumps, dragheads and cutterheads used in underwater excavation. Exporters will be required to obtain licences and comply with technical declaration and verification requirements under China’s export-control regulations.
The announcement could have implications for Indian projects that depend on specialised machinery, particularly underground metro systems, high-speed rail corridors and tunnels in challenging terrain, including border regions. China has imposed restrictions affecting exports of tunnel-boring machines to India in recent years.
In 2024, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had raised concerns over Beijing preventing a German company manufacturing such equipment in China from exporting it to India. The latest restrictions come amid wider efforts by Beijing to regulate the overseas transfer of technologies and equipment it considers sensitive.
China’s proposed additional controls on technologies across sectors such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and solar power also point to a broader tightening of its export-control framework. The impact on Indian projects will depend on the equipment covered, the availability of alternative suppliers and the time required to secure export licences.