China’s 180-day rule does not ban every recently registered car from export as a used vehicle. Since January 1, 2026, a used vehicle whose export-licence application falls within 180 days of its initial registration date (including day 180) needs an additional manufacturer-issued After-Sales Maintenance Service Confirmation Letter. If the required letter cannot be provided, the export licence will not be issued for that vehicle under the rule.

For businesses buying used cars from China, this changes the order of checks. Before accepting a recently registered vehicle, importers should verify its registration timeline, the relevant exporter documents and whether the required manufacturer confirmation can be obtained. The rule concerns permission to export from China; it does not establish that the vehicle will qualify for import or registration in the destination country.

What Is China’s 180-Day Used-Car Export Rule?

On November 11, 2025, China’s Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security and General Administration of Customs issued a notice on strengthening used-car export management (Shang Mao Han [2025] No. 648). The relevant requirement took effect on January 1, 2026.

For a vehicle being declared for used-car export, the notice sets an additional documentary condition when the time from registration to the export-licence application is 180 days or less. In that case, the exporter must supplement the application with an After-Sales Maintenance Service Confirmation Letter issued by the vehicle manufacturer, including the required vehicle, destination and after-sales information and bearing the manufacturer’s official seal. Without it, the licensing authority will not grant the export licence.

The policy aims to strengthen control of new vehicles exported under a used-vehicle classification. It does not state that a recently registered vehicle is automatically forbidden from export in every case, and it does not make older used vehicles exempt from the ordinary export application requirements.

How Is the 180-Day Period Determined?

The key comparison is between the vehicle’s initial registration date and the relevant export-licence application date. The car’s model year, build date, first advertised sale date or odometer reading is not a substitute for that check.

Illustrative example: If an export-licence application is made 120 days after the vehicle’s initial registration, it falls inside the window and the extra manufacturer letter is required. If an application is made after more than 180 days, that particular timing condition no longer applies, but normal used-car export licensing and destination-country checks still do. This example explains the rule; it is not a Jansbon transaction or an official licensing decision.

The government notice also contains a transition provision for vehicles that had already completed transfer registration pending export before January 1, 2026. Any transaction relying on that provision should be checked against its actual dates and the competent authority’s handling requirements.

What Is the Manufacturer’s After-Sales Maintenance Service Confirmation Letter?

The required document is not an ordinary seller warranty statement. The notice calls for an After-Sales Maintenance Service Confirmation Letter (售后维修服务确认书) issued by the vehicle manufacturer and stamped with its official company seal. It must contain the required destination-country, vehicle and after-sales service outlet information.

A buyer should confirm the letter’s connection to the actual vehicle and export destination, and whether the exporter can provide the required document for the licence application. A trading company cannot simply replace the manufacturer’s official confirmation with its own informal promise.

The existence of a letter should not be marketed as proof of a broad international manufacturer’s warranty. The document’s regulatory role and the scope of any actual warranty or service contract are different questions.

Which Used-Car Export Documents Must Match?

Beyond the 180-day letter, the notice requires accurate export-licence application information. Vehicle make, model, initial registration date and transfer-registration-pending-export date must agree with the Motor Vehicle Registration Certificate (机动车登记证书). If the required information is missing or inconsistent, the authority may refuse to issue the export licence.

Buyers should therefore ask the exporter to match the offer to a specific vehicle and reconcile the key identifiers before committing to shipment. Depending on the transaction and applicable procedures, ordinary used-car export documentation also includes materials such as vehicle registration records, required inspection information and the licensing application. The exact document set should be checked against current Chinese administrative instructions and destination requirements.

Does Low Mileage Make a Car Eligible for Used-Car Export?

No. A nearly unused vehicle may be advertised as a “zero-mileage used car,” but mileage alone does not decide the 180-day question. A car can have very low mileage and still fall inside the registration window. An older registered car can also have low mileage without triggering this particular extra-letter condition.

That is why buyers should avoid treating phrases such as “new condition,” “2026 model” or “only delivery mileage” as evidence of export eligibility. The relevant official dates and documents are more useful than the appearance of the vehicle. A vehicle that has passed the 180-day mark still needs to meet other applicable export rules.

Jansbon Car lists individual used vehicles, including a 2023 Haval H6 National Trend Edition. That product listing helps identify a model for a purchasing inquiry; it does not by itself prove any particular vehicle’s first-registration date, export-licence status or eligibility under the 180-day rule. Those details must be supported by unit-specific records.

What Should Overseas Buyers Check Before Reserving a Recently Registered Car?

A sensible purchase sequence puts export feasibility ahead of final shipment commitments. It does not require the foreign buyer to file the Chinese export licence personally, but it does require clarity about what evidence the exporter can provide.

1. Identify the unit: Ask for the vehicle reference, make, model and official registration information.
2. Check the clock: Compare initial registration with the planned export-licence application date, not the shipment date alone.
3. Confirm the extra letter if required: Establish whether the actual vehicle manufacturer can issue the required signed and sealed after-sales confirmation.
4. Reconcile the export file: Confirm the relevant identifiers and dates match registration records and the proposed application.
5. Check destination entry: Independently verify import, age, safety, emissions, steering and registration conditions where relevant.
6. Agree the commercial decision: Clarify in the purchase arrangement what happens if a required licence or document cannot be obtained.

For broader vehicle browsing, Jansbon Car maintains a used-car product catalogue. An individual listing is a starting point for specifying the car—not a substitute for its official export file.

Does Approval to Export from China Guarantee Import Approval Overseas?

No. Chinese export licensing and entry or registration in the destination country are independent decisions. An importer may need to satisfy local vehicle-age restrictions, roadworthiness standards, technical approval, customs, emissions, steering configuration and registration rules. An export licence is not evidence that the vehicle qualifies for local number plates or sale.

For European destinations, applicable type-approval or individual-approval routes should be reviewed for the actual car and the receiving jurisdiction. Rules are not uniform across the European Union, the United States and other markets. A buyer who cannot demonstrate local eligibility should resolve that issue before treating the shipment as a straightforward retail import.

Final Decision: Verify Dates Before You Commit

When buying used cars from China in 2026, the most important new check for recently registered vehicles is simple: will the export-licence application occur within 180 days of initial registration, and if so, is the manufacturer’s required confirmation available? Follow that with a check of the registration records, licence documents and destination-market requirements.

If you are considering a specific used car, send Jansbon Car the model, intended destination and the documentation questions you need resolved. You can contact Jansbon Car to discuss the vehicle inquiry and request confirmation of which unit-specific information and export documents can be supplied. Do not rely on model year or an online listing alone to establish export eligibility.