The European Commission knocked down reporting that it is ready to drop its 10% tariffs on autos, and defended the pattern of trade between the EU and the U.S. in a FAQ document on the concept of reciprocal tariffs.

Japan has asked the Trump administration to exempt it from new 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoji Muto said during a Feb. 12 press conference.

The European Commission is considering exempting more than 80% of companies that otherwise would be subject to import tariffs under the bloc’s upcoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said this week. Hoekstra said the EU has found that the law may disproportionately target companies that aren’t responsible for most carbon emissions.

China opened a dispute at the World Trade Organization on Feb. 5 to challenge the new 10% tariff imposed by the U.S. on all goods from China, claiming that the measure violates the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. China said that not only do the duties violate the U.S. government's "Schedule of Concessions and Commitments," they're also "discriminatory and protectionist in nature."

The Trump administration is determined to impose tariffs on China “regardless” of any progress it makes on stopping fentanyl from flowing into the U.S., a Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson said Feb. 5 during a regular press conference in Beijing. The U.S. is “bent on levying a 10 percent additional tariff on Chinese imports under the pretext of the fentanyl issue,” the person said, adding that Beijing “firmly deplores and opposes this move and has taken necessary measures to defend its legitimate rights and interests.”

Taiwan is setting up task forces and a consultation hotline to assist Taiwanese companies overseas that may be affected by new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs announced Feb. 4. The task forces will be set up in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Southeast Asia and South Asia to “provide real-time support” to Taiwanese businesses.

The European Commission is pushing for new import fees and customs controls on certain low-value e-commerce imports that it said are unsafe, counterfeit or don’t meet other EU product standards. The controls could target products from online marketplaces such as AliExpess, Amazon, Shein and Temu, the commission said, adding that those companies could be liable for the sale of unsafe products on their platforms.

Moments after President Donald Trump’s 10% tariffs on all Chinese products took effect Feb. 4 (see 2502030034), China announced new tariffs and export controls against the U.S. and added two American companies to its so-called unreliable entity list, including one that it accused of adopting “discriminatory measures” when sourcing products from China's Xinjiang region.

European Parliament members this week probed the EU’s new trade commissioner about how he’s handling President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, with some members calling on the EU to prepare for retaliation.

A lawyer for Shein submitted a letter to the U.K. Parliament denying its U.S.-bound products contain any Chinese cotton. The letter, sent Jan. 20 after several British lawmakers in a hearing earlier this month expressed concern about forced labor in the company's supply chains, said that the company complies with the laws and regulations of the countries in which it sells.