China imposes export controls on tunnel-boring machines, key for infra sector

China will impose export controls on tunnel-boring machines from November 18, alongside revised restrictions on drone-related products and dredgers. The move could affect India, which imported USD 800,000 worth of tunnelling machinery from China last fiscal year, with infrastructure projects, including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor, potentially facing an impact.

In Short

• Exporters must secure licences under laws governing overseas dual-use shipments
• Equipment is widely deployed across metro rail and highway construction projects
• China remains a major global supplier of boring and tunnelling equipment

China will introduce export controls on tunnel-boring machines, equipment widely used in construction projects, its commerce ministry said on Monday, reported Reuters.

The controls will take effect on November 18. The ministry will also revise export restrictions covering drone-related products and dredgers as part of changes to the country's list of dual-use items.

Exporters of tunnel-boring machines will be required to apply for a licence under China's export control law and regulations governing overseas shipments of dual-use items, the ministry said.

China is a major supplier of tunnelling and other boring machinery used in metro rail and highway construction. It exported about USD 793 million worth of self-propelled coal or rock cutters and tunnelling machinery in 2025, according to UN Comtrade data.

The new requirements will place tunnel-boring machines under export controls from November 18, alongside revised measures for drone-related items and dredgers.

China’s latest measures come as it engages in negotiations with the US and the EU. While China and the US have announced a two-month trade truce, the EU remains engaged in talks with Beijing after imposing curbs on Chinese-made electric vehicles and EV batteries in a bid to shield the European steel industry.

The move will affect India, which imported USD 800,000 worth of tunnelling machinery from China in the last fiscal year, up from USD 500,000 in the previous fiscal year, following an easing of border tensions between the two countries since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.

The fresh restrictions are expected to hit Indian automobile manufacturers and the infrastructure sector the hardest. Weighing around 3,000 tonnes, the machines are being used in several construction projects across India, including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor.

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