China expressed serious concern over the Japanese government's announcement of plans to implement new export controls on semiconductors and other technologies, according to a summary of answers to reporters' questions from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, according to an unofficial translation. The ministry said the move is an effort to generalize the notion of national security and abuse export control measures to fragment the global semiconductor market. The result will "seriously affect the normal trade exchanges between Chinese and Japanese companies" and damage the global supply chain. China said it will "take necessary measures" to safeguard its interests.
Japan opened an antidumping duty investigation on graphite electrodes from China, the ministries of Finance and Economy, Trade and Industry announced, according to an unofficial translation. The ministries decided to conduct the joint investigation following a petition from Japanese companies SEC Carbon, Tokai Carbon Co. and Nippon Carbon Co. The investigation will take one year and will allow for interested parties to comment on the proceeding.
The European Commission on April 24 opened the first investigation under its International Procurement Instrument in response to practices in the Chinese procurement market for medical devices which allegedly "discriminate unfairly against European companies and products," the commission said.
China announced that it is "firmly opposed" to both the U.S. decision to open a new Section 301 investigation on allegedly unfair practices in China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors (see 2404170029) and President Joe Biden's call for a "tripling" of the existing Section 301 tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum (see 2404170040).
China and El Salvador launched free trade agreement negotiations on April 17, China's Ministry of Commerce announced, according to an unofficial translation. El Salvador's minister of economy and China's international trade negotiator and vice minister made the virtual announcement.
China said it “strongly” opposes the U.S. Commerce Department’s decision this week to add Chinese companies to the Entity List, calling on the U.S. to “stop politicizing trade and tech issues and turning them into weapons.” The listings targeted several Chinese firms for allegedly procuring export controlled items for China’s military modernization efforts or for Russia’s military (see 2404100018), but a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told reporters at a regular press conference April 11 that China and Russia “have the right to normal economic and trade cooperation, and such cooperation should not come under external interference or constraint.”
China’s trade remedy bureau chief met with the EU April 10 to express Beijing’s “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to the bloc’s recent launch of an investigation on Chinese wind turbine suppliers (see 2404100010). “This is a protectionist behavior that harms a fair competitive environment in the name of fair competition,” the official told the EU in Brussels, according to an unofficial translation of a readout released by China’s Ministry of Commerce. China said it “urges the EU to immediately stop and correct its wrong practices.”
The EU’s recently announced investigation on Chinese wind turbine suppliers is “discriminatory” toward Chinese companies, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this week (see 2404090038). Speaking during a regular press conference on April 10, a ministry spokesperson said the EU should make sure its probe abides by World Trade Organization rules. “China’s new energy sectors’ development is a result of our strong technology, robust market and full-fledged industrial chains,” the spokesperson said. “China will firmly protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies.”
Japan issued new Russia trade restrictions, including new export controls and an import ban on certain diamonds, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced, according to an unofficial translation. The measures will take effect April 17 and include export bans on mineral fuels and oils, automotive engine oil, inorganic chemicals and precious metals, plastics, steel products and their parts, tungsten powder, base metal products, boilers and machinery, electrical equipment, yachts and other recreational vessels and optical equipment.
China’s commerce minister on April 7 met with a group of Chinese electric vehicle companies operating in Europe to discuss the EU’s ongoing countervailing duty investigation on EV batteries from China (see 2403150047). Minister Wang Wentao told battery makers Geely, BYD, CATL and others that EU and U.S. accusations of EV "overcapacity" in China are “groundless,” and that Beijing will “actively support enterprises in safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests.” The companies “expressed their gratitude to the Ministry of Commerce for its strong support,” according to an unofficial translation of a readout of the meeting, and said they will “practice fair competition, actively respond to trade frictions, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results through pragmatic cooperation with European partners.”