Before you send a parcel
Prohibited & restricted items
Check 23 categories of prohibited and restricted products before sending goods to your China warehouse. Ask support about restricted or uncertain items before buying or shipping.
Batteries, electronics, magnetic items and liquids
Do not send batteries, battery-powered goods or magnetic items on ordinary-goods-only routes. Acceptance depends on the exact product, specifications, packaging, destination and currently enabled service. Ordinary electronics are not universally prohibited. A route-table match is an initial check, not customs or carrier approval.
Check current routes and cargo types →Browse by category
Choose a category to jump to its entries. Examples are not exhaustive; check the requirements for your actual product.
01 / Products and examples
Drugs and drug-related products
- Narcotics, addictive drugs and drug materials
- Opium and poppy parts or seeds, morphine, heroin, cocaine, cannabis, methamphetamine, ketamine, methcathinone, amphetamine and caffeine sodium benzoate.
- Drug precursor chemicals
- Piperonal, safrole, sassafras oil, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, hydroxylimine, chloroketone, phenylacetic acid, bromopropiophenone, acetic anhydride, toluene and acetone.
- Drug paraphernalia
- Equipment intended for drug production, use, concealment or trafficking, including cannabis grow lights and drug pipes.
- Drug-making instructions and accessories
- Books or materials on manufacturing drugs, drug-use equipment and accessories.
02 / Products and examples
Firearms and weapons
- Weapons of mass destruction, arms and ammunition
- Nuclear weapons; ammunition and replicas, bullet pendants, bombs, grenades, rockets, flares, training rounds, incendiary, smoke, signal, tear-gas and toxic-gas rounds, mines, shells, gunpowder and explosives.
- Firearms and components
- Pistols, rifles, submachine guns, riot guns, air guns, hunting and sports guns, tranquilliser guns, BB guns, tear-gas guns, signal and starting pistols, sample guns, realistic toy guns, assembly parts, sights, suppressors, stocks, magazines, grips and triggers.
- Imitation or disguised guns and accessories
- Air guns, BB guns, paintball guns, disguised guns and gun sights.
- Crossbows
- Mechanical, recurve and compound crossbows.
- Body armour
- Bullet-resistant and stab-resistant vests and helmets.
03 / Products and examples
Blades, police equipment and self-defence items
- Controlled or disguised blades
- Daggers, triangular blades, locking spring knives, butterfly knives, folding knives, military knives, samurai swords and similar controlled blades.
- Other sharp or blunt tools
- Kitchen knives, large scissors, fruit and table knives, decorative swords, ice axes, ice picks, skates, performance weapons, surgical, butcher, carving, razor, planer, milling and craft blades, traditional knives and swords. Illegal animal-catching equipment, electric fishing devices, spear guns and electric dog collars also require review.
- Police equipment
- Handcuffs, shackles, batons, electric batons, tear-gas devices, riot shields, water cannons and military or police daggers.
- Self-defence and sporting equipment
- Stun devices, pepper sprays, crossbows, expandable batons, tear gas, slingshots, knuckle weapons, axes, weighted or spiked sticks, metal-tipped poles and entrenching tools; baseball bats, billiard cues, cricket bats, hockey sticks, golf clubs, metal-tipped umbrellas, martial-arts weapons and nunchucks; recurve, compound and traditional bows.
04 / Products and examples
Dual-use items
- Rare metals
- Tungsten, molybdenum, bismuth, tellurium, indium, gallium, germanium, beryllium, zirconium, hafnium, special titanium alloys and magnesium-aluminium alloy powders.
- Rare-earth metals
- Samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium, including relevant metals, alloys, oxides, compounds, targets and permanent magnets.
- Chemical and biological equipment
- Diaphragm pumps, reactors, tanks, mixers, electrolytic cells, distillation columns, corrosion-resistant equipment, glove boxes, biosafety cabinets and bioreactors.
- Materials-processing equipment
- Crucibles, valves, presses, forming machines, lathes, milling and grinding machines, coordinate-measuring equipment, robots, manipulators and vacuum pumps.
- Electronics
- Capacitors, electromagnets, accelerators, frequency converters, generators, high-power or high-voltage DC supplies, high-voltage switches and mass spectrometers.
- Materials
- Graphite, carbon fibre, glass fibre, aramid, rare-earth materials, magnets, gallium, germanium, optical lenses, antimony, titanium, tungsten and alloys.
- Telecommunications and information security
- Telemetry equipment, ground telemetry or remote-control equipment and related research, production or testing equipment.
- Sensors and lasers
- Imaging sensors, high-speed cameras, lasers, laser amplifiers, oscillators, pressure sensors, radar, terrain-mapping and scene-mapping equipment.
- Navigation and avionics
- Accelerometers, gyroscopes, altimeters and their testing or calibration equipment.
- Chemical precursors
- Lithium thionyl chloride batteries, triethanolamine and other chemicals subject to applicable controls.
- Aerospace
- Turbine engines, drones and their engines or infrared imaging equipment, reinforced polyimide or polycarbonate composites and thermal-protection ceramics.
- Other dual-use items
- Dredgers, high-performance computers, high-pressure water cannons and civilian drone-interference equipment.
05 / Products and examples
Chemicals and dangerous goods
- Flammable or explosive products
- Fireworks, firecrackers, fire extinguishers, asbestos, alcohol, paint, matches and lighter flints.
- Ignition devices and accessories
- Lighters containing flammable gas or liquid and related accessories.
- Compressed or liquefied gases and containers
- Hydrogen, methane, ethane, butane, natural gas, LPG, ethylene, propylene, acetylene, refrigerants and coal gas; toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, nitric oxide and chlorine; oxygen, nitrogen, neon, aerosols and other oxidising or asphyxiant gases. Medical oxygen also requires specific acceptance review.
- Liquids, powders, crystals and pastes
- Fuels, acetone, ether, paint, benzene, alcohol, turpentine, nitroglycerin and solvent products; seafood, alcoholic drinks, aqueous products, gels and aerosols; powdered cosmetics, coffee and flour; herbal jelly, honey, nail polish, mascara, kinetic sand, abrasive sand and sugar. Ordinary consumer products in these forms require route-specific review.
- Flammable solids, self-heating and water-reactive substances
- Phosphorus, sulphur, aluminium and flash powders, solid alcohol, matches, activated carbon, celluloid or ping-pong balls, foaming agents, nitrocellulose including film, titanium powder, sodium, potassium, lithium, zinc or magnesium powder, calcium carbide and cyanides.
- Oxidisers and peroxides
- Permanganates, perchlorates, potassium permanganate, peroxides of sodium, potassium or lead, chlorates, bromates, nitrates, hydrogen peroxide and ammonium nitrate.
- Toxic substances
- Arsenic, arsenic trioxide, mercury and thallium compounds, cyanides, selenium powder, phenol, mercury and highly toxic pesticides.
- Radioactive materials
- Radioactive isotopes and products containing them, including relevant cobalt, radium and plutonium materials.
- Corrosive substances
- Sulphuric, nitric and hydrochloric acids, storage batteries, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide.
06 / Products and examples
Minerals and environmentally controlled materials
- Soil, minerals and environmentally sensitive products
- Garden or field soil, planting soil, charcoal, silica or quartz sand, magnesia, graphite, mercury batteries and mercury-containing products; ozone-depleting substances and refrigerant cylinders, including R22, R134a, R410A and flammable R32.
07 / Products and examples
Precious metals and gemstones
- Gold and gold products
- Ingots, bars, leaf, plate, wire, semi-finished gold products and jewellery.
- Silver and silver products
- Ingots, powder, plate, targets and jewellery.
- Platinum-group metals
- Unwrought platinum or palladium, powders and jewellery.
- Gemstones and gemstone products
- Diamonds, jade, red coral, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, jadeite, tourmaline, loose stones and jewellery.
08 / Products and examples
Animals, plants and derived products
- Animals and animal products
- Live mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, insects and invertebrates; semen and embryos; raw hides, leather or fur, wool, bones, horns, teeth, hooves and claws; ivory, tiger bone and rhino horn; animal-derived feed, medicines and fertiliser; carcasses and unlicensed specimens.
- Plants and plant products
- Fruit, vegetables, dried or fresh flowers, seeds, seedlings, bulbs, tubers and other propagating material; soil, organic growing media, raw logs, untreated wood and plant specimens.
09 / Products and examples
Food and drinks
- Food, beverages and tea
- Drinks, coffee, fruit, snacks and tea.
10 / Products and examples
Tobacco and alcohol
- Tobacco-related products
- Cigarettes, tobacco, nicotine patches, e-liquids and rolling papers.
- Alcoholic drinks
- Spirits, wine and cocktails.
11 / Products and examples
Biological products
- Microorganisms, vaccines and biological samples
- Pathogens, toxin-producing cultures, parasites and harmful organisms; human or veterinary vaccines, sera, antibodies and diagnostic antigens; human cells, blood, plasma and biological samples; genetically engineered biological products.
12 / Products and examples
Human organs and tissue
- Human tissue and remains
- Human bones, placenta, remains and body parts.
13 / Products and examples
Medicines and medical devices
- Prescription, non-prescription and herbal products
- Controlled narcotic or psychotropic medicines; ointments, tablets, capsules and sprays; sexual-function products, pet pheromone sprays and anti-itch treatments; slimming, breast-enhancement, scar, whitening, acne and care patches; herbal foot patches, ginger patches, foot-bath packs and mugwort; supplements, drops, eye drops and medicated oils.
- Medical devices
- Blood-pressure, oxygen, glucose and temperature monitors, foetal monitors and anti-choking devices or parts; medical masks, gloves, gauze and bandages; nebulisers, physiotherapy, anti-snoring, suction, nasal-irrigation and infrared devices; test kits and pregnancy tests; stethoscopes, syringes, needles, drainage tubes, acupuncture needles and contact lenses.
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment
- Tablet presses and moulds, capsule-filling machines, fermentation tanks, aseptic filling equipment and freeze dryers.
14 / Products and examples
Electronics, batteries and magnetic items
- Concealed surveillance cameras
- Cameras hidden in pens, glasses, power banks, sockets, watches, lighters or buttons, and covert miniature camera modules.
- Eavesdropping devices
- Covert earphones, phone bugs, through-wall listening devices, wireless listening modules, SIM-card bugs, telephone wiretaps and miniature wireless camera boards without a viewing screen or operating indicator.
- Decoding and bypass hardware
- Console modification chips, flash cartridges, encryption-bypass boards, illegal satellite or cable descramblers, pirated set-top boxes, software-dongle duplicators and hardware intended to bypass access controls.
- Signal equipment and jammers
- Mobile, GPS, BeiDou, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and drone jammers; mobile boosters and repeaters, vehicle jammers, radar detectors or jammers, laser jammers, traffic-light controllers, CB amplifiers, cordless phones, Wi-Fi boosters and FM or AM transmitters. Acceptance depends on the exact equipment and destination requirements.
- AIS equipment
- Fishing-net buoy trackers, receivers, radar equipment, marine transceivers, transponders, simulators and AIS position-spoofing modules.
- Modified storage devices
- Upgraded USB drives, memory cards and hard drives, including modified devices advertised above 256 GB; modified console flash storage, cracked-firmware cards and boards bypassing manufacturer checks. Capacity alone does not determine whether an ordinary storage device is prohibited.
- Unauthorised-content decoding equipment
- Decoders and streaming devices configured to access content without permission, including relevant devices using KODI (formerly XBMC). Software name alone does not establish unlawful use.
- High-power laser pointers
- Laser pointers and children's laser toys. Confirm the actual output, laser class and destination requirements; a power figure alone is not shipping approval.
- Batteries, electronic devices and magnetic items
- Dry cells, storage batteries, lithium batteries and solar cells; phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, media players, electronic blood-pressure monitors, cameras and power banks; unshielded magnetic items such as money counters, speakers, carbon steel, magnets, headphones, transformer boards and strong magnets. These items must not use an ordinary-goods-only route.
15 / Products and examples
Currency
- Currency, counterfeit currency and printing equipment
- Genuine, counterfeit or altered currency and currency-printing machines.
- Commemorative currency
- Circulating commemorative coins and coins bearing a face value.
16 / Products and examples
Financial products and equipment
- POS terminals and card readers
- Payment terminals and card-swiping devices.
- Credit and bank cards
- Credit cards and debit cards.
- Card-making equipment
- Machines used to produce financial cards.
- Financial securities
- Paper shares, government bonds, certificates of deposit, drafts and cheques; counterfeit banknotes, shares, bonds or financial instruments.
17 / Products and examples
Official documents and seals
- Official documents and forgery-related equipment
- Government-issued documents, certificates, seals and medals; original IDs, licences and official permits; official seals, forged documents or seals, imitation official medals, security certificate paper, imitation embossing dies and document-background templates.
18 / Products and examples
Publications, printed and audiovisual material
- Publications
- Science books, literature and other publications may require content or import review.
- Explicit, obscene or violent content
- Pornographic publications, violent video files and obscene discs.
- Restricted political or confidential content
- Materials subject to Chinese restrictions concerning national unity, state secrets or territorial representation, including maps and confidential drawings or storage media.
- Prohibited religious-group promotional material
- Booklets, USB media and leaflets promoting groups prohibited under applicable rules.
- Racist or hate-inciting material
- Nazi material, Hitler portrait coins and hate-inciting posters, clothing or cards.
- National emblems and leaders' portraits
- Commercial or parody merchandise bearing national emblems or leaders' images, where subject to applicable restrictions.
19 / Products and examples
Adult products
- Adult-use goods
- Vibrating or silicone adult devices, erotic clothing, lubricants, delay products and inflatable dolls.
20 / Products and examples
Gambling equipment
- Gambling machines and accessories
- Face-value chips and chip cards, casino roulette wheels and tables, automatic shufflers and dealers, slot machines and mainboards, casino dice and playing cards, blind timers, betting terminals and gambling-control software or hardware.
21 / Products and examples
Protected cultural objects and fossils
- Antiquities, fossils and collectibles
- Historic porcelain, jade, bronze, coins, banknotes, woodcarvings, rare books, paintings and pottery fragments; trilobite, ammonite, orthoceras, dinosaur, plant, ancient human and ancient ape fossils, including fossil-inlaid ornaments.
22 / Products and examples
Counterfeit, infringing and substandard goods
- Intellectual-property infringement
- Counterfeit trademarks, pirated books, audiovisual works and software, and infringing clothing, bags, footwear or electronics.
- Counterfeit or substandard products
- Counterfeit or substandard cosmetics, household goods, appliances and electronics, including products failing applicable standards.
23 / Products and examples
Product descriptions requiring review
- Descriptions suggesting controlled goods
- Examples in the reference list include toys described as pills, selfie sticks described as carbon fibre, and clothing described using ammunition, bulletproof, camouflage or tactical terms. Declare the actual product, material and use accurately. A keyword calls for review; removing it or renaming the goods does not make a prohibited item acceptable.
Scope and official references
Use this list for pre-shipment risk checks. Final requirements come from Chinese customs import/export rules, Ministry of Commerce export controls, dangerous-goods air-transport rules, postal prohibitions, destination customs and other authorities, and the actual shipping service. Official references below are in Chinese.
- Ministry of Commerce: dual-use export control database ↗
- State Post Bureau: prohibited and restricted postal items database ↗
- State Post Bureau: prohibited postal items directory ↗