Meaning
An administrative decree issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China establishes regulatory exemptions and threshold standards for the cross-border transfer of data by domestic and foreign enterprises. Published as the Provisions on Promoting and Standardizing Cross-Border Data Flows, Order Number 19 relaxes prior strict data export filing requirements for routine commercial and logistics operations. The regulation removes standard contract and security assessment obligations for exporting non-sensitive personal information below specific annual volume thresholds.
The scope governs all internet operators, multinational corporations and domestic data handlers transferring personal or important data outside Chinese territory.
Exemption Threshold
Data handlers exporting personal information of fewer than 100,000 individuals within a calendar year are exempt from filing standard contracts or undergoing security assessments under this decree. Under Order Number 19, cross-border transfers necessary for executing international trade contracts or employee management also enjoy automatic regulatory exemptions. These thresholds significantly reduce compliance burdens for foreign enterprises operating standard commercial supply chains within China.
Compliance Obligation
Entities transferring important data or personal details exceeding specified volume limits must still undergo formal security assessments conducted by national cyberspace authorities. Compliance under Order Number 19 requires enterprises to monitor transfer volumes continuously and maintain data classification registers to verify exemption status. Transferring critical state data or unverified bulk personal information without prior approval remains strictly prohibited under Chinese law.
Scope Boundary
Relaxed data export mechanisms established in this regulation do not apply to data explicitly designated as important data by sector regulators or government notifications. Security assessment rules remain fully active for national security data regardless of transaction volume.
