China adopts revised Foreign Trade Law

Chinese lawmakers on Saturday voted to adopt a revision to the Foreign Trade Law.

The revised law, which was passed at a session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, will take effect on March 1, 2026.

The revised law incorporates provisions on safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, while highlighting that China's foreign trade shall serve the national economic and social development.

In implementing related reform measures, the revision adds provisions on advancing China's efforts to actively align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, and to participate in the formulation of international economic and trade regulations.

To further optimize the development environment for foreign trade, the revised law clarifies that China will strengthen intellectual property protection related to foreign trade and enhance the compliance and risk response capabilities of foreign trade operators regarding intellectual property rights.

The revision also enriches and improves China's legal toolkit on struggles in the foreign trade arena and supplements and refines corresponding countermeasures.

China's Foreign Trade Law took effect in 1994 and was revised for the first time in 2004. The newly revised law now consists of 11 chapters.

(Cover: The terminal was bustling with cargo-handling operations, the foreign trade container terminal of Qingdao Port in Shandong Port, December 26, 2025.)