State Council Promulgates the Regulation on the Implementation of the Mineral Resources Law

On May 20, 2026, the State Council promulgated the Regulation on the Implementation of the Mineral Resources Law (the “Regulation”), which will come into force on June 15, 2026.

The Regulation consists of 8 chapters and 79 articles, and sets out detailed provisions on the establishment, grant, renewal, transfer, and registration of mining rights; clarifies the application procedures and review time limits for exploration licenses and mining licenses; and improves the systems concerning land for mining, reserve reports, comprehensive utilization, and the coordination between exploration and mining. It provides that the mining right holder shall be the person responsible for ecological restoration in the mining area, and clarifies the contents of restoration plans, completion time limits, and acceptance procedures. It establishes systems for the reserve of strategic mineral resource products, production capacity reserves, and origin reserves; improves the rules on emergency response, assessment of the level of development and utilization, filing of exploration entities, classified and graded supervision, dispute resolution, and legal liability for violations; and specifies heavier punishment for violations involving strategic mineral resources.