China's solar exports fall 6.4% by weight in September as value rises
Key Facts
The weight of China's solar cell and panel exports fell 6.4% year on year in September 2026, according to customs data reported by Reuters, while the value of shipments and the number of units exported rose. Shipments weighed 1.21 million metric tons during the month, down from the same month a year earlier. Exports rose compared with August, however, when China shipped 840,000 tons of cells and panels abroad. From January to September, China's total solar equipment exports reached 9.37 million tons, according to figures reported by the agency. The cumulative weight of shipments fell 9.5% from the same period a year earlier, exceeding September's annual decline.
By contrast, the value of China's solar exports reached $3.34 billion in September, according to Reuters, despite the decline in shipment weight from a year earlier. The value rose 19.4% year on year, moving in the opposite direction to exports measured in tons. The number of cells and panels China exported during the month reached 1.44 billion units, according to figures reported by the agency. Exported units rose 11.3% from September a year earlier, alongside the increase in export value. Growth in value outpaced growth in the number of cells and panels shipped abroad during the same month, based on a comparison of the rates of increase.
Meanwhile, temporary advance registration for exports of technologies covered by China's Ministry of Commerce announcement took effect upon its publication, while final amendments to the prohibited and restricted lists remain under consultation. Registration covers technology exports that have already begun but have yet to be completed, according to the ministry's text on the temporary measures. In its explanation of the announcement, the ministry said cases requiring registration include the transfer of technology ownership from within China to an entity outside the country. They also include licensing the use of Chinese technology abroad, as well as cases in which the owner of technology within China becomes a foreign entity. Registration also extends to the transfer of effective control over technology to a foreign party, according to the ministry's clarification of the scope of technology transfers.
The scope of controls on the technologies concerned extends beyond transfers of technical know-how to include key and core equipment incorporating those technologies, according to the Ministry of Commerce announcement. The ministry said the inclusion of the few specific pieces of key equipment identified in the announcement applies to cases in which they incorporate technologies that meet the prescribed control criteria. Explaining the nature of these transactions, it said exports of key solar technologies often take place alongside the export of production lines and their installation at recipient entities. Technology transfers also extend to the operation and adjustment of those lines, followed by their improvement and upgrading, according to the stages the ministry listed in its explanation of the measures. Other solar equipment not mentioned in the announcement is, in principle, not subject to its requirements, according to the official clarification.
The Chinese proposal covers 12 photovoltaic technologies related to the manufacture of polysilicon, wafers and cells, according to the list of areas the Ministry of Commerce announced as part of its review of technology exports. The ministry linked the proposed amendment to protecting national security and interests in its explanation of the reasons for reviewing export controls on these technologies. It pointed to the growing use of solar technologies in sensitive fields, including space and defence, as well as applications in unmanned equipment. It added that uses also include infrastructure with high levels of security, among the areas cited in its explanation of the proposal's rationale. Regarding the entities covered by the amendment, the ministry said it "does not target any specific country, region or entity," according to its explanatory statement.
The solar technologies form part of a broader review covering 40 technologies across artificial intelligence, biomedicine and photovoltaics, according to China's Ministry of Commerce. The proposed prohibited list includes technologies for producing perovskite cells and modules and tandem cells, among amendments submitted for public consultation before the final version is adopted. The ministry said other technologies that do not meet the control criteria can continue to be exported freely, within the limits set out in its explanation of the proposal. Temporary advance registration will remain in effect until China's list of technologies prohibited and restricted from export is formally amended and implemented, according to the announcement. Public consultation on the amendments began on October 16, 2026, and remains open for comments until November 15, 2026.