BEIJING, Dec 12 (Reuters) – China will relax export and import controls on certain lithium thionyl chloride batteries starting January 1, 2026, according to a joint notice issued on Friday by China’s industry ministry, commerce ministry and the customs.
The change will apply to a single battery or battery packs containing no more than 1 kg of thionyl chloride, a chemical listed under China’s controlled substances regulations.
Authorities said these products pose minimal risk because the chemical content is low and difficult to extract, reducing the potential for misuse.
Under the new rules, such batteries will no longer be classified as controlled chemicals or dual-use items, meaning companies do not need to obtain chemical control or dual-use import/export licenses during customs declaration.
But exporters and importers are required to declare the thionyl chloride content accurately when filing customs paperwork, according to the notice.
(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Mrigank Dhaniwala)
