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 this week released its catalog of goods that will be subject to import licenses for 2026, according to an unofficial translation of a Ministry of Commerce notice. The list includes certain chemicals, chemical equipment, heavy machinery, papermaking equipment, electrical power equipment, food processing equipment and more.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., urged the Trump administration Dec. 29 to release more details on the U.S.-China deal that will transfer ownership of TikTok from China’s ByteDance to American investors (see 2509250064).
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., on Dec. 18 reintroduced a companion to a Senate bill that would require the president to identify and sanction those responsible for torture, abductions and other human rights abuses against Southern Mongolians in China.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned four companies and their oil tankers for operating in Venezuela’s oil sector. The designations target Corniola Limited and its ship manager and operator, Krape Myrtle Co, which owns the vessel Nord Star and which OFAC said used it to move Venezuelan oil. The agency also sanctioned other oil-moving ships, including Rosalind, whose registered owner is Winky International Limited; and Della and Valiant, whose registered owner is Aries Global Investment LTD.
Uzbekistan national and resident Saodat Narzieva sued the Office of Foreign Assets Control and OFAC Director Bradley Smith Dec. 2, saying the agency mistakenly included her in an April 2023 round of Russia-related sanctions, causing her "substantial" harm.
The U.S. requested consultations at the World Trade Organization with China last week concerning China's safeguard investigation on imported beef, which was opened in December 2024 and has been twice extended. Most recently, China's Ministry of Commerce extended the investigation through Jan. 26 (see 2511250038).
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.
Beijing is ordering its chipmakers to use at least 50% domestically made equipment for adding new semiconductor capacity as part of a push to build a self-sufficient semiconductor supply chain, Reuters reported Dec. 30. Chinese chipmakers seeking approval to build or expand their chip plants have been told in recent months that they "must prove through procurement tenders that at least half their equipment will be Chinese-made," the report said. The directive is forcing Chinese manufacturers to choose domestic suppliers "even in areas where foreign equipment from the U.S., Japan, South Korea and Europe remain available."
The recent introduction of several bills to restrict foreign sales of computing chips shows that lawmakers are eager to legislate on the issue but haven't yet reached agreement on how to do so, Morgan Lewis trade lawyer Mike Huneke said in an interview.