Ministry of Commerce: Initiating a trade barrier investigation into U.S. practices and measures that hinder green product trade

On March 27, People’s Finance News reported that the Ministry of Commerce initiated a trade barrier investigation into the practices and measures by the United States that hinder the trade of green products. In accordance with the Foreign Trade Law of the People’s Republic of China and the relevant provisions of the Ministry of Commerce’s Regulations on the Investigation of Trade Barriers, the Ministry of Commerce can conduct investigations into trade barriers imposed by relevant countries and regions to maintain the order of foreign trade. Preliminary evidence and information obtained by the Ministry of Commerce indicate that the United States has implemented several practices and measures that obstruct the trade of green products in trade-related areas, including but not limited to: restricting the export of green products to the U.S., slowing down the deployment of new energy projects, and limiting technological cooperation related to green products. The aforementioned practices and measures may seriously harm the trade interests of Chinese enterprises, with some measures suspected of violating WTO rules and other economic and trade treaties or agreements jointly established or participated in by China and the United States. Based on Article 41 and Article 42 of the Foreign Trade Law of the People’s Republic of China, as well as Article 12 and Article 35 of the Regulations on the Investigation of Trade Barriers, the Ministry of Commerce has decided to initiate a trade barrier investigation into the relevant practices and measures of the United States starting from March 27, 2026.