In May 2026, the global foreign trade pattern has undergone major changes. Major trading economies such as the United States, the European Union, and India have successively implemented a number of new regulations on foreign trade, customs, product certification, and market access. Relevant policy changes will have a direct impact on Chinese export companies, cross-border e-commerce sellers, manufacturing companies, and international logistics supply chain companies.
First, let’s look at China’s domestic key foreign trade and shipping policies.
The newly revised “Maritime Law of the People’s Republic of China” has been officially implemented on May 1, 2026. This is the first systematic revision of the “Maritime Law” since its implementation in 1993.
Among them, Article 93 has made important adjustments to the rules for determining liability for unavailable goods at the unloading port. The original long-standing principle of “consignee’s responsibility takes priority” has been adjusted to the “shipper’s primary responsibility” mechanism.
The new regulations further clarify the boundaries of responsibilities of various entities in maritime cargo transportation, and have practical impacts on international shipping, abandoned cargo handling, port detention, and bill of lading business management.
On April 28, 2026, the Tariff Commission of the State Council issued an announcement that from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2028, preferential zero-tariff treatment will be implemented for 20 non-least developed African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China.
Among them, the tariff rate within the quota is reduced to zero, and the tariff rate outside the quota remains unchanged. In the future, negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement for Common Development will continue to be promoted. Relevant policies have further expanded China-Africa trade openness and cooperation.
On April 16, 2026, the General Administration of Customs issued an announcement to adjust the declaration items of the export goods declaration form, adding the “Prohibited and Restricted Control Identification Code” and “Prohibited and Restricted Control Declaration Elements”. The above contents are conditionally required. Enterprises need to accurately fill in the regulatory information according to the attributes of the goods. The relevant filling specifications can be inquired through the “China International Trade Single Window”.
Look at the key trade regulatory changes in the United States and the European Union.
The U.S. government announced that starting from April 6, 2026, it will adjust the 232 tariff measures on imported steel, aluminum, copper and related derivative products.
The main products of steel, aluminum, and copper will continue to be subject to a 50% ad valorem tariff, and some derivative products will be subject to a 25% tax rate. The tax rate for some products using raw materials smelted in the United States can be reduced to 10%. The 232 tariffs related to some industrial equipment and power grid equipment will be temporarily reduced until the end of 2027. The relevant policies involve electromechanical equipment, industrial manufacturing, metal processing, and supply chain supporting industries.
Starting from 2026, the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) declaration requirements will be further refined.
Export companies in key industries such as steel, cement, aluminum, fertilizers, electricity and hydrogen energy are required to gradually provide product carbon emission data, upstream supply chain emission information, and third-party verification information. The relevant mechanisms are expected to be gradually expanded to more manufacturing industries in the future.
There are also new changes in import supervision and certification regulations in major Asian markets.
On April 2, 2026, the Ministry of Finance of India issued Notification No. 12/2026 – Customs. From the date of announcement to June 30, 2026, 40 categories of petrochemicals, plastics and industrial raw materials will be exempt from basic import duties (BCD) and agricultural infrastructure development tax (AIDC), involving multiple industries such as plastics, packaging, chemicals, automobiles and manufacturing.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recently revised 8 quality control orders. Some qualified micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can be exempted from BIS mandatory certification and some quality compliance requirements. The products involved include electric fans, furniture, lighters, thermal insulation containers, air coolers, laboratory glassware, etc. The relevant adjustments have further expanded the scope of certification exemptions for local small and medium-sized enterprises in India.
In terms of cross-border e-commerce and supply chain supervision trends, the South African government announced that it will strengthen the safety and quality supervision of cross-border e-commerce imported goods. The main measures include the implementation of pre-export verification (PVoC), the mandatory provision of certificates of conformity (CoC), and increased product safety and quality testing. The key supervision scope includes home appliances, furniture, building materials, cosmetics, cables, mattresses and other products. Relevant policies are planned to be fully implemented on September 20, 2026.
The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) announced that starting from September 1, 2026, it will implement a traceability supervision mechanism for some imported goods. The new scope of inclusion includes refrigerators, washing machines, monitors, construction machinery, child safety seats, etc. Related products need to be included in the unified tracking system management.
The current global trade regulatory system continues to become stricter. From customs declarations and product certifications to environmental protection regulations, supply chain traceability and cross-border e-commerce supervision, all major trading economies are simultaneously improving market access and compliance requirements.
For Chinese export companies, timely attention to changes in target market regulations, improving product certification systems, and strengthening supply chain compliance management have become important basic tasks in international trade operations.
