China “firmly opposes” the Netherlands’ plan to expand export controls over certain semiconductor equipment (see 2501150057), which “threatens the stability of the global semiconductor industry chain and supply chain,” a Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson said this week at a regular press conference, according to an unofficial translation. The spokesperson said Beijing has “expressed its deep concern” to the Netherlands and said it hopes the country will “respect market principles,” the “spirit of contract” and the “legitimate rights and interests of companies from all countries, including Chinese and Dutch companies.”
China pushed back this week against the Biden administration’s latest round of semiconductor-related export controls (see 2501130026 and 2501150040) and Entity Listings (see 2501150016), saying they risk further straining trade ties between the two countries. Beijing also added four more U.S. defense companies to its so-called unreliable entity list and said it’s reviewing whether U.S. subsidies for the American chip industry are unfairly propping up U.S. exports of legacy semiconductors.
China criticized new U.S. export controls over certain advanced AI chips released this week (see 2501130026) and announced its own set of export restrictions on American firms the next day, adding seven defense contractors to its so-called unreliable entity list.
The EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation, a 2023 law that allows the bloc to respond to market-distorting foreign subsidies by foreign countries, was deemed an unfair trade and investment barrier by China’s Ministry of Commerce last week.
Japan is placing new trade restrictions on Russia, including export controls over certain audio equipment, engines and parts for “special vehicles,” such as cranes and small motorcycles, the country’s trade minister said during a Jan. 10 press conference, according to an unofficial translation. Japan will also take "measures to prevent indirect exports” to Russia being sent by companies in third countries. “We will continue to cooperate with the international community, including the G7, and take all possible measures to implement sanctions against Russia,” the minister said. “The details will be explained by the secretariat at a later date.”
China will impose security deposits on imported cypermethrin from India with respect to an antidumping duty investigation on the product, effective Jan. 8, according to an unofficial translation of a Ministry of Commerce notice. The investigation authority preliminarily determined that the domestic cypermethrin industry is harmed by dumped imports from India. Imports from Indian companies will be subject to a deposit rate based on the “dutiable price approved by the customs,” China said. The ministry said cypermethrin is used in agricultural insecticides.
China’s Foreign Ministry this week objected to the U.S. Defense Department’s recent update to the list of companies with ties to the Chinese military, calling the list “discriminatory.” The Pentagon announced it had added China-based Tencent, owner of the messaging app WeChat, and CATL, a Chinese battery maker, in a notice released this week (see 2501060024).
China on Dec. 31 released the 2025 version of its list of dual-use goods and technologies that require specific import or export licenses, according to an unofficial translation of a Ministry of Commerce notice. Each of the items is listed with corresponding Harmonized System codes. The list officially replaced the previous 2024 version on Jan. 1.
China announced new export controls on American defense contractors Jan. 2, adding some firms to a list that bans them from receiving dual-use items and adding another set of companies to its so-called Unreliable Entity List.
China renewed its antidumping duties on n-butanol imports from the U.S., Taiwan and Malaysia for another five years after finding they are necessary to prevent damage to its domestic n-butanol industry, the country’s Ministry of Commerce said, according to an unofficial translation of a Dec. 27 notice. The duties, effective Dec. 29, include import duties ranging from 52.2% to 139.3% for American companies; 6% to 56.1% for Taiwanese companies; and 12.7% to 26.7% for Malaysian companies. N-butanol is an organic chemical used to make paints, adhesives, plasticizers and other products, according to China Daily, a state-run news outlet.