China imposed tariffs of 55% on imports of beef beginning Jan. 1, the country's Ministry of Commerce announced Dec. 31, according to an unofficial translation. The measures, which will last three years, came at the end of an antidumping investigation instituted at the end of 2024. The tariffs are levied on top of the current rate and apply to imports of beef over a set quota of 2.7 million metric tons in total from all countries. The quota for U.S. imports is 0.164 million tons in the first year and will increase to 0.171 million tons by the third year.

China published its 2026 tariff plan this week, outlining new rates for hundreds of commodities while lowering duties on other items, the country's Ministry of Finance said Dec. 29, according to an unofficial translation.

China's Ministry of Commerce criticized the FCC's recent decision to ban imports of foreign-made drones and drone parts that have not yet been approved by the agency, saying the U.S. is overusing the "concept of national security" to suppress trade between Chinese and American firms. "China urges the U.S. to cease its erroneous practices and immediately rescind the relevant measures," a ministry spokesperson said last week, responding to a reporter's question at a press conference. "If the U.S. continues to act unilaterally, China will resolutely take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises."

China will take “corresponding measures” if the U.S. “continues down the wrong path” by imposing Section 301 tariffs on semiconductors, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a regular press conference Dec. 24 in Beijing.

The U.S. and Indonesia "have agreed on the substance stipulated in the reciprocal trade negotiation document," Indonesia said in a Dec. 23 news release, according to an unofficial translation. It said technical meetings for legal scrubbing would be held in the second week of January, and the agreement should be signed by the third week of January.

Companies in the U.S. and the EU are increasingly being asked by Chinese business partners to certify that they’re not exporting rare earths in violation of Chinese export restrictions, including in some cases through post-shipment audits, lawyers said.

The Indonesian government sent Economy Minister Airlangga Hartarto to Washington, where he is expected to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer before Christmas, in the hopes of finishing a trade deal before the New Year.

The U.S. and Canada nearly reached a trade agreement before the airing of an anti-tariff advertisement drew the ire of President Donald Trump, according to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a Dec. 18 interview.

Delegations to the World Trade Organization understand that if the WTO doesn't reform, things will get worse, rather than holding steady, according to Petter Olberg, Norway’s ambassador to the WTO and the man facilitating reform discussions.

The EU is aiming to expand the scope of its upcoming carbon border tariff to apply to 180 steel and "aluminium-intensive" products produced downstream.