From 2027, Chinese carmakers that want export status will first have to document working service outlets abroad. On 29 September the General Office of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) issued its notice on applications for 2027 car and motorcycle export licences (Shang Ban Mao Han [2026] No. 404), writing overseas after-sales service, price compliance and document accuracy into the requirements. For dealers and repair shops in Kazakhstan that handle Chinese brands, the rules reach straight into their own contracts and permits.
Timeline
Applications are filed online only. The 2027 system on MOFCOM's unified business platform opened on 30 September: manufacturers fill in the form in the car and motorcycle export licence module and submit documents to their local commerce authority. Local authorities must complete a first review and pass files to the ministry by 28 October.
That 28 October date is the deadline for local authorities, not for companies, which will have to file earlier according to their region's schedule. The notice also says applications will not be accepted from companies that miss the filing window or fail to correct or add documents during the public notice period.
What is new compared with last year
Set against the 2026 notice issued on 27 September 2025 (No. 408), the new document adds three blocks.
The first and longest covers overseas service outlets. Three kinds of evidence are required. An agency contract or cooperation agreement with each outlet, or a stamped statement if the outlet is company-owned. The outlet's credentials: a business licence or repair permit issued in the host country, or a statement where no such permit exists. A description of repair capability for whole vehicles and key components, backed by interior and exterior photos, an equipment register, technicians' qualification certificates or internal training records, and spare-parts logistics records. The number of outlets follows MOFCOM's classification of manufacturers; the example given is that a first-category car maker must provide details of at least 50 outlets.
The second block deals with converted vehicles. Where lightly modified models such as utility, patrol or driver-training vehicles are declared for export as passenger cars, the applicant needs a shared after-sales service confirmation from the original vehicle manufacturer, in which the base-vehicle maker agrees in writing to provide repair know-how and parts and to help resolve quality and service issues abroad.
The third block is price compliance. Companies sign an overseas compliance document, follow the industry guidelines on competition conduct and compliance abroad, refrain from seeking advantage by disrupting market order, and report vehicle prices properly when applying for the licence.
Penalties for false documents were already in last year's notice and remain: public notice of the violation, a warning, or suspension or withdrawal of the right to export cars and motorcycles.
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Last year's focus was electric cars. Under joint announcement No. 54 of 2025 by four ministries, battery-electric passenger cars (reference customs code 8703801090) have needed export licences since 1 January 2026. This year the attention has moved to who services the cars after sale and how prices are declared.
What it means for Kazakhstan
The points below are our analysis of the document, not an official interpretation.
Service partners will have paperwork to do. For each outlet a manufacturer needs a contract, a local business licence or repair permit, photos and an equipment register. Kazakh dealers and workshops that want to keep servicing Chinese brands will need to help manufacturers assemble that file.
Sales channels may reshuffle. Export status is now tied to a service network, which makes it harder for small brands and intermediaries without official service. There is no official data yet on the effect on parallel imports and small-lot trade; the picture should become clearer once the 2027 list of qualified companies is published.
Prices will be more visible. The licence carries the vehicle price, and the compliance document singles out pricing. Kazakh importers would do well to keep contract and customs prices consistent with what the manufacturer declares.
Kazakh media have already picked up the notice. Kazinform's Beijing correspondent, writing on 6 October, described the compliance requirement as the main change; Inbusiness.kz on the same day focused on service outlets and the 50-outlet threshold. Both accounts match the ministry's text.
Three things to watch next: local implementation rules, outlet requirements for second-category and other manufacturers (the notice gives an example only for the first category), and the list of companies granted export status for 2027.
Sources:
Ministry of Commerce of China, notice on 2027 car and motorcycle export licence applications (No. 404, 29 September 2026), https://www.mofcom.gov.cn/zwgk/zcfb/art/2026/art_4a7a0cc4efc84ec493d7cc7bcc26a05d.html
Ministry of Commerce of China, notice on 2026 applications (No. 408, 27 September 2025), https://www.mofcom.gov.cn/zwgk/zcfb/art/2025/art_7c50d6688ca34d1786a1bfd2ccde7d19.html
Kazinform (6 October 2026), https://www.inform.kz/ru/kitay-uzhestochit-kontrol-za-eksportom-avtomobiley-0b1a1375
Inbusiness.kz (6 October 2026), https://www.inbusiness.kz/ru/last/kitaj-uzhestochaet-kontrol-za-eksportom-avtomobilej
Key facts
- The General Office of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China issued a notice on applications for 2027 automobile and motorcycle export licenses on September 29.
- Chinese automobile manufacturers must submit evidence of cooperation with overseas after-sales service outlets, local qualifications, and descriptions of their repair capabilities.
- Category I automobile manufacturers must provide information on at least 50 overseas after-sales service outlets.
- Dealers and repair shops in Kazakhstan must assist manufacturers in completing documents such as contracts, local business registrations, and repair qualification certificates.
- When applying for automobile export licenses, Chinese manufacturers must properly report vehicle prices and sign written documents on compliant overseas operations.
- The application system for 2027 automobile and motorcycle export licenses opened on September 30, and local commerce departments must complete the preliminary review by October 28.
FAQ
What new requirements have been added to applications for 2027 Chinese automobile export licenses?
New requirements include evidence of overseas after-sales service outlets, price compliance, and the authenticity of submitted materials. Manufacturers must upload evidence of outlet cooperation, local qualifications, and repair capabilities.
What documents must dealers in Kazakhstan help prepare?
Dealers and repair shops must assist in preparing agency contracts or cooperation agreements, local business licenses or repair permits, and materials such as photographs and equipment inventories.
How many overseas after-sales service outlets must Category I automobile manufacturers have?
The notice provides an example in which a Category I automobile manufacturer supplies information on at least 50 outlets.
Is October 28 the deadline for companies to submit the documents?
No. October 28 is the deadline for local commerce departments to complete the preliminary review. The actual company submission deadlines depend on local arrangements.
How will the submission of false materials be handled?
Depending on the circumstances, public notice or a warning may be issued, or the company’s automobile and motorcycle export qualifications may be suspended or revoked.