This past week, CTM covered the following issues.

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) submitted a formal response to the European Commission's proposal to revise the Cybersecurity Act. Beijing argues that the EU’s pivot toward "non-technical risks'" is a veil for protectionism that violates fundamental WTO principles, and it warns of potential reciprocal measures. Subsequently, MOFCOM warned that it may deploy its new set of supply chain regulations if the European Commission proceeds with its proposal.

MOFCOM launched its solicitation for public comments and industry questionnaires in its trade barrier investigations targeting the United States. Stakeholders have until April 30 to submit responses.

China officially expanded its reform pilot projects to the northern frontier with the approval of the Inner Mongolia Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ). The region will serve as a connectivity hub for the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor and a new cluster for emerging strategic sectors.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vietnamese General Secretary To Lam met last week, overseeing the signing of 32 bilateral cooperation documents.

At a hearing of the House Ways and Means Committee, members of Congress asked U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer about issues related to the upcoming Xi-Trump meeting, the auto sector, the proposed Board of Trade, and various other China trade issues.

The Canadian government initiated a safeguards investigation on imports of certain wood products, and Chinese imports are likely to be significantly impacted by any remedy imposed.

The European Commission announced that following an investigation into distortive foreign subsidies, Chinese state-owned rolling stock manufacturer CRRC is no longer part of a railway bid in Portugal.

The European Parliament's International Trade Committee held a meeting on trade and investment relations with China, hearing from a number of expert witnesses and a representative of the European Commission.

At a meeting of the WTO's Council for Trade in Goods in late November, for which the minutes were recently circulated, China raised a new concern with the EU's proposed steel tariff rate quota measure, and several previously raised measures were discussed as well.