This past week, CTM covered the following issues: In China: * Li Qiang outline of action plan for government * IPCC and China in global climate governance * Dispute with Laos over a BRI-related project * Warning of retaliation against U.S. copper tariffs * GACC SPS measures in February 2025 In the U.S.

The 62nd Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded in Hangzhou, China last week, marking another step for China in global climate governance. It took place amidst an increasingly delicate balance between China's green leadership and dominance in many clean energy sectors.

At the November 2024 meeting of the WTO's Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, for which the minutes were recently circulated, China raised two new concerns related to European auto regulations, and other Members reiterated old concerns with some Chinese measures, including its Cybersecurity Law.

An electric utility project described by China as being part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has led to international arbitration, as the Chinese company in charge of the project has sued the Laotian government for US$555 million.

Today, Chinese Premier Li Qiang outlined an action plan for the government in his address to the National People's Congress. As part of the plan, he touched upon several trade and investment issues.

CK Hutchison, a Hong Kong company that owns and operates two key Panama ports, as well as many other ports across the globe, has reached an agreement in principle with private equity firm BlackRock to sell a significant portion of its port business.

In a swift and comprehensive retaliation against the 10% additional tariff imposed by the United States today on all Chinese goods, Beijing has unleashed a barrage of countermeasures. These actions span across multiple fronts, including a WTO challenge, retaliatory tariffs, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) decisions on U.S. agricultural products,