Research & Analysis

Last week, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) further extended tariff exclusions for 77 COVID-19 related goods and 352 non-medical products from China until May 31, 2024. The exclusions were set to expire at the end of 2023 and cover a range of products from masks and gloves to industrial components and bicycles.

The last few months have seen multiple policy developments affecting American businesses that operate in the healthcare industry. Echoing the State Council’s 24 Measures document issued over the summer, the central government has enacted policies to improve the public procurement environment and enhance intellectual property rights protection, both of which are long-standing concerns for multinational healthcare companies.

Thank you to all who partnered on and joined our Jubilee Gala in Washington last week, as well as those who were a part of our 50th anniversary galas in Beijing and Shanghai earlier this year. I was honored to be in the company of so many members, USCBC alum, friends, China scholars, and officials from both the United States and China.

Last week, the Select Committee on the CCP approved a report that included more than 100 recommendations on trade and economic policy. If enacted, these recommendations would drastically change the US-China commercial relationship.

From December 11 to 12, China held its Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC), an annual agenda-setting moment for China’s economic policy for the upcoming year. As in past years, the meeting was chaired by President Xi Jinping.

China has seen several high-level personnel changes at the central and provincial levels over the last few months. Notably, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) voted to remove Li Shangfu from his position as China’s defense minister.

House and Senate lawmakers unveiled the compromise version of the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last week after weeks of negotiations. The NDAA, the annual legislation that authorizes funding the Department of Defense, has become a key yearly vehicle for pushing through China policy priorities, including those not related to defense.

During the final week of November, the US and Chinese governments separately unveiled new iterations of their respective strategies to attract investment and strengthen supply chains. The Biden administration held an inaugural meeting of the White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience, and at the same time, senior Chinese policymakers and domestic and foreign companies gathered in Beijing to attend a five-day supply chain expo and policy forum.

On Saturday, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo participated in the Reagan National Defense Forum, where she emphasized the need for the United States to remain the global leader in critical technologies like semiconductors. She urged Congress to increase the budget for the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and make the export control enforcement office “more muscular.”

The last few months have seen multiple developments affecting US companies that operate in the transportation industry. The US Department of Treasury released long-awaited proposed guidance on the clean vehicle provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act.