Dual-use goods are products or technology with both civilian and potential military or strategic application — certain electronics, specific chemicals, some machine tools, and most commonly in freight, components that could be re-purposed for restricted end-uses. China, like every major exporting country, maintains its own export control list, and goods on it need a licence to leave the country regardless of the buyer's stated commercial intent.
This sits alongside, and is separate from, destination-side import restrictions and sanctions screening — a shipment can be entirely legal to export from China and still be restricted from entering certain destination countries, or restricted from being sold to specific sanctioned entities, which is checked independently of the export licence question.
For most consumer goods and general machinery this never becomes relevant, but certain categories — advanced electronics components, specific sensors, some chemicals with industrial and other applications — sit close enough to control-list boundaries that it is worth confirming classification before committing to an order, not after a shipment is held at export.
We flag when a product description looks like it may fall into a controlled category based on general HS code and description patterns, but the licensing determination itself is a legal classification exercise that sits with the exporter and, where relevant, specialist trade-compliance counsel.