The Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) has issued Announcement 2025-No. 68, imposing stringent conditions on the export of three critical minor metals - tungsten, antimony and silver - for the period 2026-2027. The move reflects China's intensifying resource-security agenda and tighter export controls over strategic materials.

The announcement, published on October 26, 2025, defines the application conditions and procedures for Chinese state-trading enterprises to export tungsten, antimony and silver during the 2026-2027 period. The move is framed as part of resource-and-environment protection efforts and export administration under the Trade Law and the Import & Export Goods Regulation.

The section on silver (白银) outlines rigorous eligibility criteria for both production and trading firms:

Applicants must submit documents to their provincial commerce authorities, who compile regional lists and submit to MOFCOM by November 12, 2025. After MOFCOM's review and 7-day public disclosure of approved firms, final qualification and list release follow. Documentation requirements include: commitment letters, business licenses, customs codes, quality & environment certifications, social insurance payment proof, and production/export proof (for silver: 2024 production proof).

This regulatory tightening signals that China is filtering the pool of firms eligible to export these strategic minor metals. The threshold of 80 t production for silver firms (less in western regions) effectively limits export access to larger, integrated producers. Combined with firm-specific certification and compliance records, the policy erects higher barriers to entry.

For silver, which plays a dual role in both industrial uses (photovoltaics, electronics, battery and conductive applications) and precious-metal stores, this measure appears designed to retain more upstream control over a critical input and to moderate export flows in favor of domestic strategic priorities.

With Announcement 2025-No. 68 the Ministry of Commerce has set forth an export-licensing regime that tightens access for silver exports from China, favoring larger, compliant producers and restricting smaller entrants. This aligns with Beijing's resource-security strategy and may have material repercussions for global silver supply, industrial users and precious-metal market dynamics.