Last week, the European Commission announced that it had opened an in-depth Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) investigation to assess the proposed acquisition by JD.com, Inc. of German firm CECONOMY AG.

Today, China's new rules governing the registration of foreign food manufacturers take effect, reflecting a regulatory overhaul that replaces a five-year-old framework with a dynamic, risk-based vetting system designed to streamline access for countries maintaining food safety cooperation with Beijing.

As part of a broader strategy related to developing critical mineral resources, the Australian government has forced several Chinese investors out of a rare earth mining project, and at the same time is pushing ahead with similar projects financed by Western-allied governments.

One year after Beijing implemented export control measures on some critical rare earth elements and derivative products, the global trade landscape reflects a complex dynamic of sharp disruption followed by rapid adaptation. While shipments initially plummeted following the April 2025 announcement, exports of rare earths and products rebounded robustly soon

Earlier this year, Australia initiated a safeguards investigation on fabricated structural steel ("FSS"), with Chinese products as one of the main sources of imports.

A WTO panel has been composed to hear China's complaint concerning "certain measures maintained by India that affect trade in the automotive and renewable energy technology sectors."

This past week, CTM covered the following issues. Following a high-stakes summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin. The back-to-back summits underscore China's delicate balancing act. China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) revised its control list of chemical