Export Controls 2026: US, China, EU, Japan, and Asia in One Comparison Table

This is Hamamoto from TIMEWELL. For any company that moves goods or technology across borders, export control is no longer a customs side task. It is a premise of the business model.

As of July 2026, US–China technology and trade measures, national economic-security policies, and new ASEAN regimes are all moving at once. The temporary pause of the US EAR Affiliates Rule, MOFCOM list measures affecting Japanese counterparties, and list updates in the EU and Japan keep rewriting the baseline.

This article puts major jurisdictions into one comparison table as of 21 July 2026, then lays out four actions Japanese companies should start now. Company and list names appear only as published regulatory categories. A listing is a regulatory designation. It is not a judgment on whether a listed organisation is “good” or “bad.”

One table first: 2026 export-control themes

Theme	What is happening	What companies should take away
US–China reciprocity	EAR entity-style controls and China’s dual-use export controls tighten, pause, and retighten	Looking at only one side produces bad decisions. Run dual impact assessments
Economic security mainstream	Globalised supply chains proved fragile to geopolitics	Diversify sourcing and plan alternate parts at the executive level
Multipolar rulebooks	EU, Japan, and ASEAN states refresh their own lists and licensing	“Comply with the US and you are done” no longer works
Deeper enforcement	Affiliates, diversion, and end-use scrutiny keep rising	Screen beyond the direct counterparty into group structures

If classification and screening forms are still inconsistent, put the export classification template pack (2026) in place first. The four actions below move faster with a shared paper trail.

United States — EAR and a pause that is only a pause

The Export Administration Regulations, administered by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), are the core of US dual-use export and re-export control. Japanese exporters can be in scope even when shipping from Japan, through US-origin content, technology, or re-export rules.

One-year suspension of the Affiliates Rule (50% rule)

In late September 2025, BIS expanded end-user controls to certain foreign affiliates of listed parties — the Affiliates Rule, often called the 50% rule. A subsequent final rule suspended that expansion from 10 November 2025 through 9 November 2026, as published in the Federal Register¹.

Suspension is not repeal. BIS has said it will keep evaluating national-security and foreign-policy interests related to non-listed foreign affiliates during the pause. Practically:

• Now: Entity List, MEU, and other EAR duties still apply even while the affiliate expansion is paused
• After November 2026: Assume the affiliate expansion returns, and finish group-structure mapping before then
• Japanese groups: Screening design must cover overseas subsidiaries, JVs, and indirect ownership

High-value civil settlements involving affiliate transactions have also reminded the market that enforcement can reach parent–subsidiary relationships. Those cases illustrate regulatory reach; they are not verdicts on the character of any named firm.

For detail, see the Affiliates Rule complete guide and preparing for November 2026.

Advanced semiconductors and AI licensing

Licence policy for advanced computing items continues to mix bright-line technical thresholds with case-by-case review. The more discretion sits with BIS, the less predictable the outcome for exporters. Congressional oversight proposals add another layer. A licence granted once is not a permanent business model.

China — dual-use export control and Japan-related measures (facts only)

China’s Export Control Law (2020) and dual-use regulations structure licensing for dual-use items. Japanese companies feel this on procurement from China and sales into China, through deeper end-use statements, end-user checks, and list screening.

2026 measures toward Japan: regulatory categories from MOFCOM announcements

Timeline as published fact:

1. 6 January 2026 — MOFCOM announced strengthened dual-use export-control measures involving Japan, effective the same day. Exporters have been asked for more detailed end-user and end-use explanations (including Announcement No. 1 of 2026 and related materials).
2. 24 February 2026 — MOFCOM announcements placed Japanese entities on an export-control list and a watch list (including Announcements No. 11 and No. 12 of 2026). Dual-use exports to control-list entities are generally prohibited. Watch-list placement is not a total ban, but review and monitoring are stricter².

Neutral baseline (non-negotiable)
Listing is a regulatory category under Chinese law. It does not mean listed Japanese companies or institutions committed wrongdoing, or that they “aided military diversion.” Legitimate civilian manufacturers can fall inside broad control categories. For those parties, the practical task is to understand their position and explain it to customers and suppliers.

This article does not use listed names as cautionary tales. Impact, in general terms:

• Even without a direct contract, supply-chain involvement of listed categories can delay China-origin materials or trigger extra diligence
• Because dual-use coverage can be broad, auto parts, electronics, and materials can all feel secondary effects
• Items tied to strategic minerals such as rare earths can move with policy decisions

For chronology and checklists, see China–Japan export control 2026 and China export risk.

Country comparison table (July 2026 edition)

Jurisdiction	Core framework	Recent focus	Timing	What Japanese firms should watch
United States	EAR, ITAR	Affiliates Rule paused through 9 Nov 2026; base Entity List duties continue	Nov 2025–	Map group structure; prepare for snap-back
China	Export Control Law; dual-use rules	End-use controls and control/watch list categories affecting Japan-related trade	Jan–Feb 2026 onward	Thicker end-use and end-user files on both buy and sell sides
EU	Dual-use Reg. 2021/821	Control-list updates; CRA and other product rules in parallel	2025–2027	Classification plus Arts. 4 and 5; see EU export rules
Japan	FEFTA; Export Trade Control Order	List amendments (e.g. 14 Feb 2026) and complementary (catch-all) review	Oct 2025; Feb 2026	Two-step process: list classification, then catch-all
United Kingdom	UK export control	Sanctions list consolidation; AUKUS-related defence trade debate	2025–2026	End-use and list screening for UK destinations
India	SCOMET, FEMA	Emerging-technology categories	Late 2025–	Build ICP early when entering growth markets
Thailand	New dual-use regime	Phased introduction of dual-use controls	2026–	Local procedures and training at manufacturing sites
Vietnam	Strategic trade management	Operationalisation after decree-based rollout	Oct 2025–	Refresh practical interpretations regularly
Singapore	Strategic Goods Control	Alignment on advanced semiconductors and AI	2025–	Align internal rules with US-linked expectations
Australia	Defence Trade Controls	AUKUS-related facilitation	2026–	Licence design for defence and space cooperation
Middle East	National law + US sanctions	AI-chip and tech transfers often reflect US policy	2025–	Re-export and end-user checks
Latin America	National law + OFAC etc.	Country programmes tighten and ease in parallel	2026–	Verify primary sources case by case

Export control is not a US–China specialty topic. When Thailand and Vietnam deepen dual-use regimes, Japanese manufacturing footprints need local ICP language and training, not only a Tokyo manual.

Japan — FEFTA and economic-security updates

List amendments and complementary export controls

Japan’s core statutes are the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (FEFTA) and the Export Trade Control Order. List amendments continue to track multilateral regimes. The package effective 14 February 2026, for example, updated treatment of certain advanced items such as FPGA-related equipment³. The complementary (catch-all) review effective 9 October 2025 changed end-use and end-user practice.

Companies must re-run classification against the current edition and still complete catch-all checks when list classification is negative. “Not listed means free to export” is wrong. See list controls versus catch-all controls.

Defence equipment transfer and investment screening

Debates on the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and a stronger inbound investment screen (sometimes called a Japan CFIUS) sit on adjacent tracks. As technology moves abroad more often, ICP quality and classification accuracy matter more, not less.

Four actions to start now

1. Rebuild screening and classification

Screen past the direct counterparty into parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, and downstream users. Classification is not a datasheet glance; keep end-use narrative and source documents together. Form design is covered in METI guidance forms and the classification template pack.

2. Map and stress-test the supply chain

Who makes what, where, and who buys it. Flag high single-country dependence, counterparties that could enter list categories, and alternate lead times. Diversification is a management decision, not only a compliance ticket.

3. Update the ICP

Document leadership engagement, classification and screening procedures, shipment control, audit, and training. Version-control against 2025–2026 amendments. Overseas subsidiaries are the usual blank spot.

4. Build a primary-source monitoring loop

METI, BIS (Federal Register), MOFCOM announcements, and Commission / Official Journal texts. Do not lock dates and figures from secondary summaries alone. Translate each alert into company impact and push it to executives and operations.

Automating screening with TRAFEED

TRAFEED (formerly ZEROCK ExCHECK) matches counterparties and items against sanctions lists, export-control lists, and risk sources, and returns reasoned results. Multi-LLM cross-checks have shown 95%+ accuracy (joint validation with Okayama University and internal testing). It also tolerates company-specific file formats.

See the TRAFEED service catalogue (PDF) or contact us.

Key takeaways

• The US Affiliates Rule pause runs through 9 November 2026. Treat it as preparation time for snap-back
• China’s Japan-related lists are control and watch categories. Listing is not a moral verdict. Thicken end-use and end-user records on both procurement and sales
• The EU runs dual-use rules in parallel with product regimes such as the CRA (see the EU article)
• Japan’s October 2025 catch-all review and February 2026 list amendments belong in classification version control
• Four actions: screening/classification, supply-chain map, ICP update, primary-source monitoring

Use the table as a starting map, then verify each matter against primary sources. Snapshot date: 21 July 2026.

Related articles

• EU Export Rules 2026
• China–Japan Export Control 2026
• BIS Affiliates Rule 50% Complete Guide
• List Controls vs. Catch-All Controls
• METI Classification Guidance
• Sanctions and Restricted-Party Lists

References

• Federal Register, "One Year Suspension of Expansion of End-User Controls for Affiliates of Certain Listed Entities" (12 November 2025) https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/12/2025-19846/
• U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) https://www.bis.gov/
• MOFCOM export control portal https://exportcontrol.mofcom.gov.cn/
• METI Security Trade Control https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/anpo/
• EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2021/821 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021R0821
• CISTEC https://www.cistec.or.jp/
• JETRO trade control resources https://www.jetro.go.jp/

Footnotes

1. Federal Register, "One Year Suspension of Expansion of End-User Controls for Affiliates of Certain Listed Entities" (12 November 2025). Phase I suspension from 10 November 2025 through 9 November 2026. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/12/2025-19846/ ↩

2. Based on MOFCOM announcements dated 24 February 2026 and related materials. Control-list and watch-list placement are regulatory categories under Chinese law and do not judge the merits of listed organisations. Confirm the Chinese-language originals on the MOFCOM export-control site. https://exportcontrol.mofcom.gov.cn/ ↩

3. METI Security Trade Control — laws, ordinances, and amendment notices. https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/anpo/ ↩