Research & Analysis

The Federal Communications Commission last Tuesday added foreign-produced robots and power inverters to its Covered List, citing concerns over the security of technology and energy infrastructure. Placement on the list bars products from sale in the United States. The restrictions do not explicitly identify any country but primarily affect Chinese industry, including Unitree Robotics and over 150 other Chinese humanoid robotics companies, as well as leading power inverter manufacturers Huawei and Sungrow.

The export controls and sanctions tracker lists all active Commerce, Treasury, and State Department export controls aimed at China—including Hong Kong. This tracker is updated regularly and an archived tab will be added in the future as entities and individuals are removed from US government blacklists.

China’s five-year plan (FYP) to build a new energy system held few surprises, but the scale of the decades-long transformation is profound. For companies, the implementing policies that follow this and other FYPs on carbon peaking and renewable energy will be most consequential, such as new power price market reforms that impact companies’ electricity bills starting next month.

At the Lujiazui Forum last month, China Securities Regulatory Commission Chairman Wu Qing outlined a package of capital market reforms aimed at deepening finance for “hard tech” and AI-driven innovation.

The Office of the US Trade Representative announced tariffs on more than 80 countries following its Section 301 investigation into forced labor enforcement — just in time to replace the Section 122 global tariffs that expired today. All Chinese imports are now subject to a 12.5% duty, up from the 10% they faced under Section 122.

This tracker monitors trade and economic actions between the United States and China from January 2025 to present. It documents tariffs, export controls, investigations, entity list additions, and other trade-related measures announced by both governments, providing announcement dates, effective dates, sources, and summaries of each action. The tracker is regularly updated to help members stay informed about the evolving US-China trade relationship.

China remains an area of bipartisan interest and consensus on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers in the 118th Congress are expected to build off the momentum of the last congress, which introduced over 700 China-related bills, resolutions and amendments spanning a variety of issue areas, including trade and investment, national security, telecommunications, and human rights.

USCBC interviews James Rowland, president and founder of Clear Arrow, who brings over 20 years of experience in international government affairs at Ford, on the US decision not to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. He explains that the outcome, which does not trigger an exit clause but rather an annual review process, is an opportunity for Washington to address what it views as shortcomings of the agreement, bolster North American competitiveness, and set rules for Chinese participation in the US auto space.

At the Aspen Security Forum and in an accompanying Bloomberg interview this week, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer reiterated that the new managed trade framework with China will focus on purchase commitments and tariffs.

The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) will soon formally review extending the first batch of Section 301 tariffs covering $34 billion worth of imports from China from Trump’s first term, including medical devices, robotics, and aerospace products.