53rd Annual Membership Meeting
USCBC Member Survey: Despite Shaky US-China Relations, China Still Critical for American Multinationals
WASHINGTON — June 10, 2026 — The US-China Business Council (USCBC) today released the results of its annual Member Survey, with fragile US-China relations, China’s economy, and entrenched tariffs topping the list of challenges for US companies operating in the country.
“This year’s results should be a wake-up call to policymakers in both countries, particularly as they set the agendas for the Board of Trade and the Board of Investment,” said Sean Stein, USCBC president. “We have a real opportunity to make progress on more than tariff reductions, but only if the conversation includes structural issues in China’s economy and industrial policy,” he added. “The results are clear: despite the challenges, competing in China is a prerequisite for many American companies to compete globally — our policies must enable them to succeed there.”
Survey highlights:
- For US companies, China is not optional. A resounding 95% of respondents consider China to be somewhat to very important for staying globally competitive. Almost half of companies (49%) apply learnings from their China operations to other markets, where they will contend with Chinese and foreign companies already tested in China’s relentlessly competitive and increasingly innovative market.
- Tariffs continue to raise costs for Americans. The proportion of companies affected by tariffs (72%) has risen despite the detente, and 42% are passing some of the costs downstream.
- US export controls are needlessly undermining American companies. Around half of affected companies are losing sales to Chinese or international competitors, leading to lost market share in many cases and without achieving the controls’ purported goal of denying China access to these technologies.
- American companies need reassurance that they remain welcome in China. Most companies say the business environment has either stagnated or deteriorated over the last year, and just half of companies plan to invest in China this year, unchanged from 2025.
- Competition from domestic Chinese firms is now the top restraint on US companies’ profitability in China, cited by 65% of respondents. Most expect Chinese companies to continue capturing share domestically and, over time, globally, challenging American competitiveness.
The annual USCBC Member Survey seeks to measure business sentiment and benchmark challenges and opportunities in the China market. Most respondents represent large, US-headquartered multinational companies that have operated in China for decades.
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美中贸易全国委员会发布《中国商业环境调查》报告：尽管面临震荡不定的中美关系，中国市场对美国跨国企业仍至关重要
华盛顿，2026年6月10日—美中贸易全国委员会（USCBC）最新发布的2026年度《中国商业环境调查》报告指出，紧张的中美关系、中国经济走势以及持续存在的关税问题，位居美国企业在华运营面临主要挑战的前列。
“今年的调查结果应当为两国政策制定者敲响警钟，尤其是在中美双方为政府间贸易理事会和投资理事会形成具体安排之际。”美中贸易全国委员会会长谭森（Sean Stein）表示，“我们有切实的机会在关税削减之外取得更多进展，但前提是相关对话必须涵盖中国经济中的结构性问题和产业政策。”他补充到，“报告显示的结果十分明确：尽管面临诸多挑战，对许多美国企业而言，在中国市场竞争是其参与全球竞争的前提——我们的政策需要帮助他们在中国取得成功。”
调查结果显示：
- 对美国企业而言，中国市场不可或缺。对高达95%的受访企业而言，在华业务对其保持全球竞争力具有一定到非常重要的意义。近半数的受访企业（49%）认为， 在中国市场获得的经验可以应用于其他市场，以应对那些已在中国这一竞争激烈、创新能力日益增强的市场中经受考验的中国企业和外资企业。
- 关税持续推高美国企业与消费者的成本。尽管局势有所缓和，但受关税影响的企业数量（72%）却仍在持续上升，42%的受访企业正将部分成本转嫁至下游企业。
- 美国出口管制措施正在不必要地削弱美国企业竞争力。约半数受影响企业表示，其销售额正流失给中国企业或其他国际竞争对手，导致许多企业因此失去市场份额，而相关管制措施也未能实现其宣称的目标，即阻止中国获取相关技术。
- 美国企业需要看到其在中国市场仍受欢迎的信号。多数受访企业表示，过去一年中国营商环境没有变化或有所恶化；仅半数企业计划今年在中国投资，与2025年保持一致。
- 与中国企业的竞争现已成为制约美国企业在华盈利能力的首要因素，65%的受访企业提及这一问题。大多数企业预计，中国企业将继续在中国国内扩大市场份额，并逐步在全球范围内抢占美国企业的市场。
美中贸易全国委员会一年一度的商业环境调查旨在评估美国在华企业的商业情绪，并以企业反馈为基准，分析中国市场的挑战与机遇。大部分受访企业为在中国运营多年的美国大型跨国企业。
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