This past week, CTM covered the following issues.

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) released its final conclusion in the trade and investment barrier investigation into restrictive measures implemented by the Mexican government, reaching the conclusion that Mexico's recent tariff increases on products from non-Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners, specifically targeting Chinese imports, constitute a trade and investment barrier under Chinese laws.

After China's parliamentary session this month, Beijing released the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (FYP) for National Economic and Social Development, signaling a fundamental shift in its global economic engagement. The new blueprint prioritizes "voluntary" and "unilateral" opening on China’s own terms, formalizes a transition from participant to active leader in global governance, and doubles down on legal instruments to strengthen national security and protect Chinese interests.

China's exports of rare earths and related high-value products saw a volatile but significant start to 2026, according to the latest official Customs data.

Beijing signaled that it would not let previously announced sanctions stand in the way of a possible visit by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a fresh sign of pragmatic diplomacy as Washington and Beijing try to stabilize ties.

China and South Korea have pledged to deepen cooperation in semiconductors, batteries and other advanced industries while working more closely to stabilize critical supply chains, after a series of ministerial‑level meetings in Beijing last week.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) placed limits on the sale of all new foreign-made routers in the U.S., with the possibility of exemptions for specific models.

Taiwan announced that it would not be participating in the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Cameroon, explaining that Cameroon had "mis-designated our nationality entry in the courtesy visas, as 'Taiwan, Province of China,' a designation that implies we fall under the sovereignty of another Member." This, Taiwan said, "is plainly incompatible with our status as a full Member of the WTO and directly undermines our rights under the WTO Agreement."