On October 19th, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs issued an announcement announcing a decision to impose export controls on items such as shield machines.
It is mentioned that, in order to safeguard national security and interests, with the approval of the State Council, it has been decided to impose export controls on items related to tunnel boring machines, walking excavators, and high-altitude wet spray machines. This announcement will come into effect officially on November 18, 2026.
The above announcement has drawn attention from India. According to reports, tunnel boring machines are key equipment used in India’s subway, highways, and other major infrastructure projects.
The Indian magazine BusinessToday states that China's aforementioned export control measures could introduce new uncertainties to India. India still relies heavily on the import of underground construction machinery, which makes such projects vulnerable to disruptions in the international supply chain.
According to an article in the Indian 'Economic Times' on the 20th, the Indian central government will soon engage in discussions with stakeholders to study measures that can reduce the impact of China's export controls on the aforementioned goods.
Indian officials stated that China's measures will not cause a significant slowdown in India's road construction. They added that the incentive program for domestic manufacturing of such key equipment is nearing final approval.
However, an Indian official stated that there may be issues with imports of high-load engines, heavy cranes, and tunnel boring equipment used for such devices. This could affect some key projects, including high-speed rail projects.
Another Indian official stated that they were assessing the impact of these control measures.
August 25, 2026, Jinhu, Jiangsu. Workers from Jiangsu Shendun Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. are assembling and debugging the shield machine. Visual China
Previously, German companies had to adjust their production arrangements due to disruptions in exports caused by tunnel boring machines.
In September 2025, German Ambassador to India, Ackmann, stated that Chinese customs had intercepted at least three tunnel boring machines manufactured by the German company Heertec, used for infrastructure projects in India. These devices were produced at Heertec’s factories in China and intended for export to India. Following this, Heertec decided to establish production facilities in India in order to reduce its dependence on Chinese-made products.
The announcement posted on the Ministry of Commerce website on the 19th did not list specific countries, but the Japan News Agency believes that it is likely targeted at countries such as India and the Philippines.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce stated during a question-and-answer session on the export controls for items such as shield machines and the optimization and adjustment of export control measures for dredgers that 'prior to this, we had already informed relevant countries and regions that have established export control dialogue mechanisms with China.'
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce stated that the items related to these measures have obvious military and civilian dual-use characteristics. China implements export control measures in accordance with laws and regulations, which is in line with international practices. This not only better safeguards national security and interests but also fulfills international obligations related to non-proliferation. As a responsible major country, China’s actions in regulating or adjusting relevant control measures reflect its consistent commitment to maintaining world peace and regional stability. The Chinese government is willing to work with other countries to ensure the stability and smooth flow of global supply chains. China will review relevant export authorization applications in accordance with laws and regulations, and approve applications that meet the requirements. At the same time, China is willing to engage in communication and dialogue with relevant parties through bilateral export control dialogue mechanisms, thereby actively promoting and facilitating compliant trade.
