China’s Revised Foreign Trade Law Signals Strategic Shift Amid Global Economic Realignment
China's State Council approved sweeping revisions to its Foreign Trade Law, effective March 2026, marking the first major overhaul since 2016. The legislation explicitly ties trade policy to national security objectives—a MOVE analysts interpret as preparation for prolonged US-China tensions. Notably, Article 23 mandates 'export control systems' for dual-use technologies, potentially impacting blockchain infrastructure exports.
The law institutionalizes experimental trade models including digital trade pilots, with indirect implications for cryptocurrency mining hardware exports. This comes as Chinese firms like BIT Mining relocate operations overseas amid domestic crackdowns. The revised law's cross-border data provisions may also affect exchange platforms servicing Chinese clients.
Market observers note the timing coincides with Beijing's 'high-quality development' push—a potential tailwind for compliant crypto ventures. 'This creates legal scaffolding for digital yuan integration in trade settlements,' said Zennon Kapron of Kapronasia. Trading volumes for China-linked tokens like FIL and CFX saw 5-7% upticks following the announcement.
