On 28 February 2026, the General Office of the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) officially released the Key Points for National Metrology Work in 2026 to the public. The document, devised by the Metrology Department of SAMR, sets out a comprehensive roadmap to strengthen China’s national measurement infrastructure, with 53 key tasks focusing on 6 major areas: regulatory reform, infrastructure upgrading, innovation support, and international cooperation. It aims to build a modern, advanced metrology framework to underpin high-quality development, industrial upgrading, and the transition towards a digital and low-carbon economy.
The policy places strong emphasis on improving top-level design and governance. Key tasks include advancing the revision of the Metrology Law, issuing phased targets under the Metrology Development Plan (2021–2035), and updating sector-specific regulations such as those governing energy metering and retail weighing. In parallel, China plans to strengthen its institutional framework by establishing new technical committees aligned with emerging industries. These measures signal a continued effort to modernise the legal and regulatory basis of metrology, ensuring it remains fit for purpose in rapidly evolving technological contexts.
Infrastructure and capability building form another major pillar. The document highlights upgrades to national measurement standards, the development of quantum metrology capabilities, and forward-looking initiatives in artificial intelligence and bio-metrology. It also promotes the integration and utilisation of metrology data to support digital transformation across industries. Talent development is prioritised through expanded certification, training programmes, and the establishment of national training centres. Together, these efforts aim to enhance China’s measurement accuracy, technological autonomy, and long-term innovation capacity.
The policy also introduces new approaches to supervision, with a shift towards digital and intelligent regulatory models. Planned actions include piloting non-on-site and data-driven supervision, deploying smart platforms to monitor electronic pricing scales, and strengthening oversight in areas such as electric vehicle charging, fuel dispensers, and public utilities. These initiatives are intended to improve market transparency, prevent fraud, and protect consumers, particularly in sectors closely linked to daily life.
In terms of industrial support, metrology is positioned as a key enabler of “new quality productive forces”. The policy promotes deeper integration between metrology systems and industrial value chains, including through the establishment of industrial metrology centres and targeted projects in high-end instrumentation.
Notably, carbon metrology is identified as a priority area, with measures to enhance measurement capabilities for emissions monitoring and support the implementation of China’s dual carbon goals. These developments are expected to play an important role in standardising measurement practices and ensuring the credibility of carbon markets.
International cooperation is another important dimension. China plans to expand bilateral and multilateral engagement, enhance participation in international mutual recognition systems, and develop metrology cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. These efforts aim to reduce technical barriers to trade and strengthen China’s influence in global measurement governance.
China’s 2026 metrology priorities signal a shift towards a more digitalised, data-driven, and strategically integrated measurement system, with direct implications for European stakeholders. Companies should expect stricter and more continuous compliance requirements, particularly through smart supervision systems and enhanced scrutiny in sectors such as EV charging, utilities, and retail measurement.
Meanwhile, the growing emphasis on carbon metrology, industrial integration, and emerging fields such as AI and biotechnology is set to reshape technical requirements and market expectations. While European firms generally demonstrate strong capabilities in data transparency and traceability, the key challenge will lie in ensuring compatibility with China-specific regulatory frameworks, data interfaces, and supervision platforms. Companies are therefore advised to closely monitor developments in China’s regulatory and carbon accounting systems and to engage proactively with local testing, certification, and innovation ecosystems. Such efforts will be essential to maintaining market access and sustaining competitiveness in China.
Source: https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/jls/art/2026/art_4a2a02ce8f8d4bebbacda76852fe450b.html
