Beijing, Aug. 5 (ANI): China on Wednesday announced a series of economic retaliatory measures against the United States, placing six American companies on a sanctions blacklist and tightening export restrictions on drones destined for the U.S.
The move follows new U.S. trade sanctions linked to forced labor and national security concerns.
The countermeasures were announced after Washington imposed new tariffs on China and more than 50 other countries as part of President Donald Trump’s broader trade agenda, which he said was necessary to address trade deficits he described as unfair to the United States.
Responding to the measures, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said the U.S. actions “seriously harm China’s legitimate rights and interests.”
“China can only take necessary countermeasures in response, including strengthening export controls on drones and their key components and technology to the U.S.,” the spokesperson added.
As part of its response, the Ministry of Commerce suspended factory follow-up inspections conducted by domestic certification bodies, blacklisted U.S. compliance testing firms, and launched national security investigations into imports of office copiers and printers.
Beijing also imposed sanctions on six U.S. companies, including biotechnology firm Applied DNA Sciences and geoscience research company Stratum Reservoir, prohibiting Chinese individuals and organizations from “engaging in relevant transactions, cooperation, or other activities” with them.
The ministry said the six blacklisted firms “have assisted and supported illegal U.S. sanctions related to Xinjiang; the nature of their actions is egregious.”
The United Nations has previously warned of possible crimes against humanity in Xinjiang involving the predominantly Muslim Uyghur minority, allegations that Beijing has repeatedly denied.
During a telephone conversation, China’s senior trade envoy, He Lifeng, expressed “serious concern” to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer over the latest trade restrictions, according to state news agency Xinhua.
The dispute follows earlier allegations by Beijing that Washington was attempting to “suppress” Chinese companies after the United States prohibited imports of humanoid and quadruped robots manufactured outside the country.
The latest U.S. tariffs, imposed over forced labor concerns, came after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down reciprocal tariffs implemented under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Following that ruling, the U.S. administration imposed temporary 10% tariffs, capped at 150 days, which expired last month.
Although trade relations had stabilized following a meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last October, the renewed tensions come ahead of Xi’s scheduled visit to the United States on Sept. 24. (ANI)
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