本办法是为了合理配置资源，规范出口经营秩序，营造公平透明的贸易环境，履行我国加入的国际公约和条约，维护国家经济利益和安全，根据《对外贸易法》和《货物进出口管理条例》而制定的。
　　商务部是全国出口许可证的归口管理部门，负责制定出口许可证管理办法及规章制度，监督、检查出口许可证管理办法的执行情况，处罚违规行为。商务部会同海关总署制定、调整和发布年度《出口许可证管理货物目录》。商务部负责制定、调整和发布年度《出口许可证管理货物分级发证目录》。
　　外商投资企业出口自产的属于出口许可证管理货物(含进料加工复出口)，应当按以下规定办理：对经批准的外商投资企业出口，发证机构凭商务部下达的外商投资企业出口配额数量签发出口许可证，出口配额招标的货物，应当附带第11条规定的有关批准文件。在出口许可证管理货物目录调整前已被批准的外商投资企业，其出口产品因调整后成为新的出口许可证管理货物，商务部可根据批准的经营范围、生产出口规模核定外商投资企业出口配额，发证机构凭商务部下达的外商投资企业出口配额数量签发出口许可证。外商投资企业投资项目涉及出口许可证管理货物出口，应当在项目立项阶段报商务部批准同意后，方可按审批程序进行审批。对未经上述批准的项目，商务部不予下达出口配额，发证机构不予签发出口许可证。
　　出口配额的有效期为当年12月31日前(含12月31日)，另有规定者除外，经营者应当在配额有效期内向发证机构申领出口许可证。出口许可证的有效期不得超过6个月。出口许可证需要跨年度使用时，出口许可证有效期的截止日期不得超过次年2月底。
　　本办法于2004年12月10日由商务部令第28号公布，自2005年1月1日起施行。原对外贸易经济合作部印发的《出口许可证管理规定》(2001)同时废止。

     
This Measure is formulated in accordance with the Foreign Trade Law and the Regulations Governing Import and Export of Goods for purpose of reasonably allocating resources, normalizing the order of export businesses, creating an open and fair trade environment, executing the international conventions and treaties to which China is bound and safeguarding the national economic interests and security.
The Ministry of Commerce, being the exclusive authority controlling licensing to exporting goods, shall be responsible to formulate measures, regulations and rules in respect of such licensing, to supervise and check the execution of this Measure and, to punish rule - breakers. The Ministry of Commerce shall, jointly with the General Administration of Customs, formulate, modify and publicize the annual Catalogue of Goods to be Exported Under Licensing Control. In addition, the Ministry shall also formulate, modify and publicize Catalogue of Goods to be Exported Under Classified Licensing Control.
The licensing to foreign - invested businesses'' export of self- produced goods subjecting to the control hereof (hereinafter referred to as the “Goods”), including export of processed goods made with imported materials, shall be processed as follows: if such business''s export is approved, the appropriate license issuing authorities shall issue the license to export to such business in accordance with the export quota for foreign-invested enterprises as provided by the Ministry of commerce; if such quota is set by bidding, the Ministry shall also provide relevant approval documents as stipulated in the Article 11 of this Measure; if foreign-invested enterprises'' export of the Goods has been approved prior to any modification of the above said Catalogue, which makes the already approved goods to export subjecting to new licensing controls, the Ministry of Commerce will, in accordance with the approved business scope and size of production and export volume, determine the export quota for such enterprises, according to which the license issuing authorities will then issue the license to export to them; and, if foreign- funded businesses'' investment projects involve export of the Goods, the license to such export shall be offered with stipulated procedures after the Ministry of Commerce has approved to their investment plans at the initial phase; otherwise, the Ministry shall not provide export quota to such businesses, nor shall the license issuing authorities issue license to export to them.
The export quota shall be effective prior to and including December 31 of the current year, unless specified otherwise. Exporters should apply for license to export, which shall be valid for maximum six (6) months, within the said effective term. If such license is used in the coming year, the expiry date of it shall not exceed the end of February of that year.
This Measure is publicized on December 10, 2004 as Decree 28 of the Ministry of Commerce and shall enter into effect as of January 1, 2005. From that day on, the Regulations Governing the Licenses to Exports(2001), publicized by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, shall be null and void.