Ministry of Commerce: Launching two trade barrier investigations against the United States

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Ministry of Commerce Announcement No. 17 of 2026 Initiating Trade Barrier Investigation Against U.S. Practices and Measures Disrupting Global Supply Chains

In accordance with the “Foreign Trade Law of the People’s Republic of China” and the Ministry of Commerce’s “Rules for Investigating Trade Barriers,” the Ministry of Commerce may independently investigate trade barriers related to certain countries and regions to maintain order in foreign trade.

Preliminary evidence and information obtained by the Ministry of Commerce indicate that the United States has implemented numerous serious practices and measures in the trade-related field that disrupt global supply chains, including but not limited to: restricting or prohibiting Chinese products from entering the U.S. market, restricting or prohibiting high-tech product exports to China, and restricting or prohibiting two-way investment in key sectors. These practices and measures may severely harm the trade interests of Chinese enterprises, and some of the measures are suspected of violating World Trade Organization rules and other economic and trade treaties or agreements jointly concluded or participated in by China and the United States.

In accordance with Article 41 and Article 42 of the “Foreign Trade Law of the People’s Republic of China” and Article 12 and Article 35 of the “Rules for Investigating Trade Barriers,” the Ministry of Commerce has decided to initiate a trade barrier investigation into the relevant practices and measures of the United States, starting from March 27, 2026. The relevant matters are hereby announced as follows:

  1. Investigated Measures

The investigated measures in this case are: the practices and measures implemented by the United States in the trade-related field that disrupt global supply chains.

  1. Investigation Procedure

In accordance with the “Rules for Investigating Trade Barriers,” the Ministry of Commerce may use questionnaires, hearings, on-site investigations, and other methods to understand the situation from interested parties and conduct the investigation.

  1. Investigation Period

This case should be concluded within six months from the date of the announcement of the case decision, and it may be extended in special circumstances, but the extension shall not exceed three months.

  1. Access to Public Information

Interested parties may download or find, read, transcribe, and photocopy the public information of this case from the trade remedy investigation sub-site of the Ministry of Commerce’s website.

  1. Comments on the Case Filing

Interested parties’ comments on the issues related to the case filing should be submitted in writing to the trade remedy investigation bureau of the Ministry of Commerce within 20 days from the date of this announcement.

  1. Submission and Handling of Information

Interested parties submitting comments, answers, etc., during the investigation process should submit electronic versions through the “Trade Remedy Investigation Information Platform” and, as required by the Ministry of Commerce, also submit written versions simultaneously. The content of the electronic version and the written version should be the same, and the format should be consistent.

If interested parties believe that the disclosure of the information they provide will have serious adverse effects, they may apply to the Ministry of Commerce for confidential treatment of the information and explain the reasons. If the Ministry of Commerce agrees to their request, the interested party applying for confidentiality should also provide a non-confidential summary of the confidential information. The non-confidential summary should contain sufficient meaningful information to allow other interested parties to have a reasonable understanding of the confidential information. If a non-confidential summary cannot be provided, the reasons should be explained. If the information submitted by the interested party does not specify the need for confidentiality, the Ministry of Commerce will regard the information as public.

Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China

March 27, 2026

Ministry of Commerce Announcement No. 18 of 2026 Initiating Trade Barrier Investigation Against U.S. Practices and Measures Hindering Trade in Green Products

In accordance with the “Foreign Trade Law of the People’s Republic of China” and the Ministry of Commerce’s “Rules for Investigating Trade Barriers,” the Ministry of Commerce may independently investigate trade barriers related to certain countries and regions to maintain order in foreign trade.

Preliminary evidence and information obtained by the Ministry of Commerce indicate that the United States has implemented multiple practices and measures in the trade-related field that hinder trade in green products, including but not limited to: restricting exports of green products to the U.S., slowing down the deployment of new energy projects, and restricting technical cooperation related to green products. These practices and measures may severely harm the trade interests of Chinese enterprises, and some of the measures are suspected of violating World Trade Organization rules and other economic and trade treaties or agreements jointly concluded or participated in by China and the United States.

In accordance with Article 41 and Article 42 of the “Foreign Trade Law of the People’s Republic of China” and Article 12 and Article 35 of the “Rules for Investigating Trade Barriers,” the Ministry of Commerce has decided to initiate a trade barrier investigation into the relevant practices and measures of the United States, starting from March 27, 2026. The relevant matters are hereby announced as follows:

  1. Investigated Measures

The investigated measures in this case are: the practices and measures implemented by the United States in the trade-related field that hinder trade in green products.

  1. Investigation Procedure

In accordance with the “Rules for Investigating Trade Barriers,” the Ministry of Commerce may use questionnaires, hearings, on-site investigations, and other methods to understand the situation from interested parties and conduct the investigation.

  1. Investigation Period

This case should be concluded within six months from the date of the announcement of the case decision, and it may be extended in special circumstances, but the extension shall not exceed three months.

  1. Access to Public Information

Interested parties may download or find, read, transcribe, and photocopy the public information of this case from the trade remedy investigation sub-site of the Ministry of Commerce’s website.

  1. Comments on the Case Filing

Interested parties’ comments on the issues related to the case filing should be submitted in writing to the trade remedy investigation bureau of the Ministry of Commerce within 20 days from the date of this announcement.

  1. Submission and Handling of Information

Interested parties submitting comments, answers, etc., during the investigation process should submit electronic versions through the “Trade Remedy Investigation Information Platform” and, as required by the Ministry of Commerce, also submit written versions simultaneously. The content of the electronic version and the written version should be the same, and the format should be consistent.

If interested parties believe that the disclosure of the information they provide will have serious adverse effects, they may apply to the Ministry of Commerce for confidential treatment of the information and explain the reasons. If the Ministry of Commerce agrees to their request, the interested party applying for confidentiality should also provide a non-confidential summary of the confidential information. The non-confidential summary should contain sufficient meaningful information to allow other interested parties to have a reasonable understanding of the confidential information. If a non-confidential summary cannot be provided, the reasons should be explained. If the information submitted by the interested party does not specify the need for confidentiality, the Ministry of Commerce will regard the information as public.

Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China

March 27, 2026

Ministry of Commerce Q&A

Ministry of Commerce Spokesperson Answers Questions Regarding the Initiation of Two Trade Barrier Investigations Against the U.S.

Today, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce answered reporters’ questions regarding the initiation of two trade barrier investigations against the U.S.

Question: We noticed that the Ministry of Commerce issued two announcements, initiating two trade barrier investigations against the relevant measures and practices of the United States. Can you provide more information on this?

Answer: The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office initiated a 301 investigation against China and 16 other economies on March 12, citing “overcapacity,” and subsequently initiated another 301 investigation against China and 60 other economies on March 13, citing “ineffective prohibition of forced labor product imports.” China expresses strong discontent and resolute opposition to these actions.

To firmly safeguard the interests of relevant Chinese industries, in accordance with the “Foreign Trade Law of the People’s Republic of China” and the relevant provisions of the “Rules for Investigating Trade Barriers,” in response to the two 301 investigations by the U.S. against China, the Ministry of Commerce published two announcements on March 27, respectively initiating trade barrier investigations against the U.S. practices and measures disrupting global supply chains and hindering trade in green products.

Moving forward, the Ministry of Commerce will advance the barrier investigation against the U.S. in accordance with the relevant provisions of the “Foreign Trade Law” and “Rules for Investigating Trade Barriers,” and will take appropriate measures based on the investigation results to firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests.

(Source: Ministry of Commerce website)

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