As Marco Rubio has now been confirmed as the U.S. Secretary of State, his sanctions status is in the spotlight again. China has signaled its willingness to engage with Rubio when "necessary" and "appropriate," highlighting the delicate nature of U.S.-China relations.

Earlier this month, the long-awaited China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement entered into force.

Officials of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) recently touted growing domestic consumption in 2024, in part due to the government's trade-in subsidy programs, and made additional announcements related to the operation of these programs in 2025.

The European Commission requested consultations with China at the World Trade Organization (WTO) today, arguing that "China has empowered its courts to set binding worldwide royalty rates for EU standard essential patents, without the consent of the patent owner," leading to violations of the WTO's TRIPS

Last week, the Dutch government updated its export control rules governing advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. This decision expands the scope of the national export control measures first introduced in 2023.

China's Ministry of Commerce has signaled potential expansion of its export controls on strategic resources, a move that could escalate tensions in the ongoing tech trade war.

China’s Ministry of Commerce provided some updates on several trade remedy cases in recent weeks. In addition, there is an indication that it may start trade remedy investigations on U.S. chips.