Law of the People's Republic of China on Foreign Trade.

This Law is enacted for the purpose of broadening the opening to the outside world, developing foreign trade, maintaining the order of foreign trade, protecting the lawful rights and interests of the foreign trade business operators, and promoting the healthy development of the socialist market economy. The Law consist of 11 Chapters: General Provisions; Foreign Trade Business Operators; Import and Export of Goods and Technology; International Service Trade; Foreign-trade-related Intellectual Property Protection; Foreign Trade Order; Foreign Trade Investigation; Foreign Trade Relief; Foreign Trade Promotion; Legal Liabilities; Supplementary Provisions.
The state practices a uniform system of foreign trade, encourages the development of foreign trade, and maintains an order of fair and free foreign trade. Any foreign trade business operator that is engaged in the import and export of goods or technology shall be registered for archival purposes with the administrative department of foreign trade of the State Council or the institution entrusted thereby, unless it is otherwise provided for by any law, administrative regulation or the foreign trade department of the State Council. The state may restrict or forbid the import or export of relevant goods or technology in the circumstances as prescribed in Article 16, including: 1. it is necessary to restrict or forbid the import or export for the purpose of maintaining state security, social public good or public morality; 2. it is necessary to restrict or forbid the import or export for the purpose of protecting human health or security, protecting the life or health of any animal or plant, or protecting the environment; 3. it is necessary to restrict or forbid the export of any of the exhaustible natural resources that are in short supply or subject to effective protection; 4. it is necessary to restrict the import of any form of product in the agriculture, animal husbandry, or fishing industry; etc. The state adopts the system of quota, license, etc, to the goods subject to import or export restrictions, while adopts the system of license to the technologies restricted or prohibited from import or export. With regard to cultural relics, wild animals or plants, and the products thereof, if it is restricted or prohibited by any law or administrative regulation from import or export, the provisions of such laws and administrative regulations shall apply.