Do Tungsten Carbide Parts from China Need an Export License? What the 2025 Tungsten Controls Cover
· Vanguard Carbide
China's 2025 tungsten export controls cover raw materials, unsintered carbide and some tungsten alloys, not finished sintered carbide parts. What the official texts say, as of October 2026, and what it means for an order.
The Short Answer
No dual-use export license is needed for sintered tungsten carbide. China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), in its official Q&A on the 2025 tungsten controls, names sintered tungsten carbide, carbide plates, blocks, rods and balls, and tools made from tungsten carbide as outside the controls. Seal rings, bushings, button inserts, dies and other finished carbide parts are sintered tungsten carbide.
What the controls do cover is further upstream: tungsten raw materials, unsintered tungsten carbide, some solid tungsten and tungsten alloys above set sizes, and the technology to produce them.
This article summarizes the official texts as they stand on 29 October 2026. Export rules change, so check the sources at the end before you rely on it for a purchasing decision.
What The February 2025 Announcement Controls
On 4 February 2025, MOFCOM and the General Administration of Customs published Announcement No. 10 of 2025, placing items related to tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum and indium under dual-use export control. It took effect the same day. The tungsten items are:
| Item | Control code | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ammonium paratungstate (APT) | 1C117.d | Raw material |
| Tungsten oxide | 1C117.d | Raw material |
| Tungsten carbide not controlled under 1C226 | 1C117.d | Customs reference code 2849902000: tungsten carbide as a chemical, before it is made into parts |
| Tungsten and tungsten alloys with at least 97% tungsten; tungsten-copper and tungsten-silver with at least 80% tungsten | 1C117.c | Only in pieces that can be machined into a cylinder of at least 120 mm diameter and 50 mm length, a tube of at least 65 mm bore, 25 mm wall and 50 mm length, or a block of at least 120 × 120 × 50 mm |
| Certain tungsten-nickel-iron and tungsten-nickel-copper alloys | 1C004 | Only alloys that meet set limits for density, elastic limit, tensile strength and elongation |
| Technology and data for producing the items above | 1E004, 1E101.b | Process specifications, process parameters, machining programs |
What MOFCOM Says Is Not Controlled
MOFCOM's export-control information site answers the question directly. Its Q&A on tungsten lists these as outside the controls:
- Sintered tungsten carbide, and tungsten carbide plates, blocks, rods and balls
- Tungsten carbide cermets
- Cemented carbide drill bits, inserts and similar tools made from tungsten carbide
- Stamping dies and milling cutters containing tungsten steel
- Tungsten carbide scrap, polycrystalline diamond compacts and tungsten wire
The same Q&A states the other side of the line: unsintered tungsten carbide, and simple mixtures of APT, tungsten oxide or tungsten carbide with other substances, are controlled.
For the products the Q&A names, the dividing line is sintering. Once tungsten carbide has been pressed and sintered into a part or a blank, the dual-use controls in this announcement do not apply to it.
Three Materials That Are Easy To Confuse
Much of the confusion comes from three different materials that all carry the word tungsten:
| Material | What it is | Under the 2025 dual-use controls |
|---|---|---|
| Cemented carbide (tungsten carbide parts) | Tungsten carbide grains bonded with cobalt or nickel, pressed and sintered into parts and blanks | Not controlled once sintered |
| Tungsten carbide before sintering | The carbide itself, or carbide mixed but not yet sintered | Controlled (1C117.d) |
| Tungsten metal and tungsten heavy alloys | Tungsten, or tungsten with nickel-iron or nickel-copper, typically used for counterweights and radiation shielding | Controlled above the composition, size and property limits in the table above (1C117.c, 1C004) |
A purchase order or inquiry that says only “tungsten” can mean any of these. Naming the material and the form, for example “sintered cemented carbide rod, ground”, makes the classification clear for everyone involved.
The Separate Export License Catalogue
China also keeps a general export license list that is separate from the dual-use controls. The 2026 edition (MOFCOM and Customs Announcement No. 89 of 2025, in force from 1 January 2026) has a group headed “tungsten and tungsten products”. It lists tungsten ores, APT and other tungstates, tungsten oxides, tungstic acid, tungsten carbide (customs code 2849902000), tungsten powders, unwrought tungsten, tungsten scrap, unsintered mixed metal carbides and ferrotungsten.
Plates, rods and tips of sintered metal carbides (heading 8209 of the customs tariff) and finished carbide parts are not in that group. The catalogue notes that its scope is defined by the goods categories and names, with customs codes given for reference only.
The entry for unwrought tungsten mentions “bars and rods obtained simply by sintering”. That refers to tungsten metal under heading 8101, not to cemented carbide rods.
This is one reason the customs classification of each shipment matters. It is confirmed with the customs broker for the actual part, not assumed from a general list.
Shipments To Japan
On 6 January 2026, MOFCOM Announcement No. 1 of 2026 prohibited exports of all dual-use items to Japanese military users, for military uses, and to any other end user or end use that helps enhance Japan's military capability. It also makes organizations and individuals in any country liable if, in breach of this ban, they transfer Chinese-origin dual-use items to Japanese organizations or individuals.
The announcement applies to dual-use items. Under the tungsten Q&A above, sintered carbide parts are not dual-use items. If you are buying for a Japanese end user, tell us the end use when you ask for a quotation, so it can be checked before an order is placed.
What This Means For Your Order
- Finished carbide parts and blanks: no dual-use export license, based on MOFCOM's published Q&A.
- Tungsten carbide powder or unsintered mixes: controlled. We do not supply them.
- Tungsten heavy alloy parts: may be controlled depending on composition and size. They are a different material from cemented carbide and are not part of our range.
- Customs classification: the customs code for each shipment is confirmed with the customs broker for that part, from the drawing and the end use.
FAQ
Did the 2025 tungsten controls stop exports of carbide parts from China?
No. MOFCOM's Q&A on the tungsten controls lists sintered tungsten carbide, carbide plates, blocks, rods and balls, and tools made from tungsten carbide as outside the controls. The controls apply to tungsten raw materials, unsintered tungsten carbide, some solid tungsten and tungsten heavy alloys, and the technology to produce them.
Do I need an import license in my own country?
That depends on your country's import rules, not on China's. The measures described here are Chinese export controls only.
Is tungsten carbide powder controlled?
Yes. Tungsten carbide before sintering, and simple mixtures of it with other substances, are controlled under item 1C117.d of Announcement No. 10 of 2025.
Where can I check whether the rules have changed?
Start with the MOFCOM announcement, the MOFCOM tungsten Q&A and the current export license catalogue listed under Sources. MOFCOM also accepts formal enquiries from exporters about items they cannot classify themselves.
Sources
- MOFCOM and General Administration of Customs, Announcement No. 10 of 2025 (Chinese), 4 February 2025
- MOFCOM export-control information site, Q&A on dual-use items: tungsten and tellurium (Chinese)
- MOFCOM and General Administration of Customs, Announcement No. 89 of 2025: Export License Catalogue 2026 (Chinese), with the catalogue itself (PDF)
- MOFCOM Announcement No. 1 of 2026 on dual-use exports to Japan (Chinese, text as reprinted by The Paper)