Key practical points:
• Mineral resources are owned by the state, and exploration and mining rights are granted by licence, often through competitive bidding.
• The new revision strengthens the market system for transferring mining rights and clarifies transfer and mortgage conditions.
• It adds a new chapter on mineral resource reserves and emergency response to secure critical minerals.
• It tightens obligations to restore the geological environment and rehabilitate mine sites after closure.
• Miners must pay mineral resource royalties and comply with safety standards and loss-reduction rules.
• Violations such as mining without a licence or beyond boundaries bring fines, confiscation of output and proceeds, and business suspension.
🏢 Company setup
Mineral Resources Law (2024 Revision) · Yalla China
中华人民共和国矿产资源法 / Mineral Resources Law of the People's Republic of China (2024 Revision)
Enacted: 2024-11-08 ✅ Effective: 2025-07-01
📝 Overview
The first comprehensive overhaul of the Mineral Resources Law since 1986, governing exploration and mining, mining rights, and geological-environment protection. It introduces a strategic reserve system for critical minerals and emergency response.
This is general information only, not legal advice. For your specific case, consult a licensed lawyer.
📜 The law text / key provisions
💬 Practical reading
💬 This is a general reading/opinion for orientation — not the official legal text nor legal advice.
Foreign mining firms should track the new revision in force since July 2025, especially the rules on transferring mining rights and environmental rehabilitation duties. Critical minerals are now under strategic oversight. This is general orientation, not legal advice.
📎 Official source
npc.gov.cn
🕒 Updated: 16 March 2026