China Proclaims Measures Towards Google, Different US Companies as Commerce Tensions Escalate

China introduced a variety of measures on Tuesday concentrating on US companies together with Google, farm gear makers and the proprietor of style model Calvin Klein, minutes after new US tariffs on Chinese language items took impact.

Beijing additionally slapped tariffs on US merchandise similar to coal, oil and a few autos in a fast response to the brand new duties on Chinese language items imposed by US President Donald Trump, escalating commerce tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation stated Google was suspected of violating the nation’s anti-monopoly legislation and an investigation was initiated in accordance with the legislation. It did present additional particulars on the investigation or on what it alleged Google had carried out to breach the legislation.

Google merchandise similar to its search engine are blocked in China and its income from there may be about one % of world gross sales. It nonetheless works with Chinese language companions similar to advertisers.

In 2017, Google introduced the launch of a small Synthetic Intelligence (AI) centre in China. However the undertaking was disbanded two years later and the agency doesn’t conduct AI analysis in China, in accordance with a weblog posting.

Individually, China’s Commerce Ministry stated it had put PVH Corp, the holding firm for manufacturers together with Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, and US biotechnology agency Illumina on its “unreliable entity” listing.

It stated the 2 firms took what it referred to as “discriminatory measures in opposition to Chinese language enterprises” and “broken” the reliable rights and pursuits of Chinese language firms.

Firms added to the blacklist will be topic to fines and a broad vary of different sanctions, together with a freeze on commerce and revocation of labor permits for overseas workers.

Google declined to remark. PVH and Illumina didn’t reply to requests for remark exterior common US enterprise hours.

PVH had already been underneath scrutiny from Chinese language regulators over “improper” conduct associated to the Xinjiang area.

“These strikes are warnings that China intends to hurt US pursuits if want be, however nonetheless give China the choice to again down,” Capital Economics stated in a observe.

“The tariffs might be postponed or cancelled earlier than they arrive into impact… The probe in opposition to Google might conclude with none penalties.”

Tesla and Farm Tools Companies

China additionally introduced 10 % tariffs on imports of US farm gear that might influence companies similar to Caterpillar, Deere & Co and AGCO, in addition to a small variety of vans and big-engine sedans shipped to China from america.

That would apply to Elon Musk’s Cybertruck, a distinct segment providing Tesla has been selling in China, because it awaits regulatory clearance to start gross sales.

China’s Ministry of Trade and Data expertise designated the Cybertruck as a “passenger automotive” in a posting in December that was rapidly deleted.

If the Cybertruck was designated as an electrical truck, Tesla would face a ten % tariff on any future imports from its manufacturing unit in Texas.

Tesla had no fast remark.

The brand new tariffs on US merchandise will begin on February 10, the ministry stated.

The bulletins made on Tuesday ramped up commerce restrictions between Beijing and Washington that had been largely restricted to the tech sector underneath the administration of former US President Joe Biden, which sought to limit China’s entry to high-end semiconductors.

China stated in December it had launched an investigation into Nvidia over a suspected violation of the nation’s anti-monopoly legislation, a probe broadly seen as a retaliatory shot in opposition to Washington’s newest curbs on the Chinese language chip sector.

Intel’s merchandise bought in China have been additionally referred to as for a safety assessment late final yr by an influential Chinese language business group.

© Thomson Reuters 2025

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