This past week, CTM covered the following issues.

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) concluded its preliminary investigation on the dumping of pecans from Mexico and the U.S., setting anti-dumping duties as high as 54.3% and clearing the way for provisional anti-dumping measures.

On August 5, MOFCOM and state regulatory agencies launched a sweeping, multi-pronged package of countermeasures, taking direct aim at recent U.S. sanctions related to forced labor and market restrictions imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 

China's Cybersecurity Review Office (CRO) opened a cybersecurity review of products sold by Palo Alto Networks, a move that could restrict the U.S. company's ability to supply operators of Chinese critical information infrastructure.

Pursuant to a safeguards investigation, the Trump administration announced a tariff-rate quota on imports of quartz surface products, with products transshipped from China a key target.

The Trump administration made significant additions to the list of entities having ties to forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The U.S. Treasury Department issued its semiannual report to Congress on "Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States." As has been the usual practice in recent years, China was not found to be a currency manipulator, but was kept on a "monitoring list."

The FCC updated its Covered List to include two new categories of devices — "advanced robotic devices" (defined as mobile robots, such as humanoids and quadrupeds) and connected power inverters – produced in foreign countries.

The Trump administration finalized a set of "national security" tariffs and other measures on the sale of polysilicon and derivative products. These actions build on earlier ones that target imports of Chinese solar products, with an extension to products made by Chinese companies in third countries being one of the objectives of the new measures.

A U.S. federal court issued a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Department of Defense's designation of Chinese biotech company Wuxi AppTec as a "Chinese military company."

In a recent court filing, the Trump administration responded to a motion for an injunction filed by Chinese tech giant Alibaba on free speech grounds in a case involving the designation of Alibaba as a "Chinese Military Company" (CMC).

Canada is moving forward with a provisional safeguard tariff on wood cabinets and vanities. In its notification to the WTO of the provisional tariff, Canada makes specific reference to "unforeseen developments" related to the Chinese market for these products, stating that "the prolonged downturn in China's property sector has weakened China's domestic demand and contributed to excess production capacity, increasing export-oriented sales."

In response to a complaint brought by China, a WTO panel found that tariffs and regulations imposed by Türkiye in the auto sector violate various GATT obligations and, aside from one claim against certain measures, are not justified by GATT exceptions. 

Two safeguards cases affecting Chinese imports and one case involving Chinese safeguard restrictions were discussed at a recent WTO meeting.