What does five major assemblies mean?
Five major assemblies is a China-specific component-control term that matters because these assemblies can trigger remanufacturing, circular-use, scrap-metal, and anti-illicit-trading controls.
five major assemblies
China ELV term for the engine, steering gear, transmission, front and rear axles, and frame.
Officially defined term1 formal definition
Official definitions by source
China ELV Recycling Measures
报废机动车回收管理办法
报废机动车回收企业不得拆解、改装、拼装、倒卖疑似赃物或者犯罪工具的机动车或者其发动机、方向机、变速器、前后桥、车架（以下统称“五大总成”）和其他零部件。
Reference: 第十条
Practical application
Implementation records should capture assembly type, source vehicle, condition, whether remanufacturing conditions are met, recipient enterprise, transfer evidence, and whether non-remanufacturable assemblies were sold as scrap metal for smelting raw material.
Minespider commentary
For auto-circularity evidence, five-major-assemblies records connect vehicle dismantling to high-value component reuse/remanufacturing pathways while preserving China’s legal boundaries.
Common confusions
- Treating all parts as five major assemblies.
- Making remanufacturing claims without condition and recipient-enterprise evidence.
- Using the English label without preserving the official Chinese term.