Used cars’ export from China must adhere to strict policies and procedural regulations to ensure product quality, company qualifications, and legal compliance of export procedures. The following are the core requirements and operational guidelines for current used car exports:
- Enterprise Qualification Requirements for Distribution Enterprises
o Registered in China with independent legal person status;
o Possesses a fixed business location and a used car showroom/sales area;
o Has experience in car sales or trade;
o Employs at least 3 professionally qualified used car appraisers and provides social security certificates;
o Has sound financial standing and submits the previous year’s audit report or financial statements for newly registered companies.
- Vehicle Compliance Requirements Exported used vehicles must be registered and have not yet reached the mandatory scrapping standard (excluding three-wheeled vehicles and low-speed freight vehicles), and must not have the following conditions:
• Vehicles under mortgage, seizure, or pledge;
• Smuggled, illegally assembled, or stolen vehicles;
• Vehicles with less than one year remaining before their scrapping date;
• Vehicles registered less than 180 days ago (starting from January 1, 2026, an additional “After-Sales Service Confirmation” is required).
Special Reminder: Starting January 1, 2026, for vehicles registered less than 180 days prior, companies must submit an “After-Sales Service Confirmation” issued by the manufacturer to strictly prevent the export of new vehicles under the guise of used cars.
For the export of new energy vehicles, a UN38.3 test report, a Chinese and English MSDS document, and maritime declaration must be made according to UN3171 (Class 9 dangerous goods).
