What is dual-use technology?

How it works

Definitions differ by jurisdiction but share a core idea. U.S. export regulations describe a dual-use item as one with civil applications that can also be used for terrorism, military purposes or weapons of mass destruction. The European Commission defines dual-use items as goods, software and technology with both civilian and military uses. China's regulations were issued in October 2024 with an effective date of December 1, 2024. They cover goods, technologies and services that may serve civil or military purposes or add to military potential.

In practice, governments keep lists of controlled items and require a license or authorization to export them. The EU, for example, maintains a common list and four types of export authorization.

Many national lists draw on multilateral export control regimes. Participants in the Wassenaar Arrangement apply controls to the items on its List of Dual-Use Goods and Technologies through their own laws. Its 42 participating states include the United States, Japan and the Netherlands, but not China. Its decisions are taken by consensus, and each state decides for itself whether to approve or deny a transfer.

The label is also shorthand. The U.S. regulation notes that its export rules reach purely civilian items and some military ones as well.

Why it matters

Dual-use lists have figured in recent U.S.-China trade disputes. On August 5, 2026, China's Commerce Ministry announced case-by-case reviews of some exports to the United States, the Associated Press reported. The reviews cover drones, key components and related technologies that appear on China's dual-use list, the report said. The ministry called the step one of several countermeasures against U.S. actions, among them Federal Communications Commission restrictions on Chinese drones.

Where things stand in 2026

Control lists are revised regularly. The European Commission says the EU list is usually amended at least once a year. On September 14, 2026, it adopted an update. Among other items, the update adds:

• semiconductor manufacturing and testing equipment
• advanced computing integrated circuits
• additive manufacturing (3D printing) equipment for energetic materials

The Commission said the update reflects decisions taken in 2025 in the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Australia Group and the Nuclear Suppliers Group. It said the updated list would enter into force on publication in the EU's Official Journal, after a two-month scrutiny period for the Council and the European Parliament.