[News] China’s Trade War Retaliation: Antitrust Probe into Google; Tariffs of Up to 15% on Certain U.S. Imports

---

---

Following Trump’s additional 10% tariff on all Chinese goods, which took effect on February 4, China has decided to fire back. According to The Economic Times and Anue, China announced today that it is going to launch an antitrust investigation into Google and imposed new tariffs on US goods, escalating the trade war between the two super powers.

Google Becomes the Next Target After NVIDIA

According to South China Morning Post, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation announced it is investigating Google for potential antitrust violations, following U.S. tariffs imposed by President Trump. The announcement didn’t specify the violations, though.

Google is certainly not the only U.S. tech heavyweights targeted by China. In December, 2024, China initiated an antitrust probe into AI accelerator leader NVIDIA. As noted by a previous report from the Economic Daily News, NVIDIA could face fines exceeding $5 billion if found to have engaged in monopolistic practices.

Up to 15% Tariffs on U.S. Energy and Vehicles

On the other hand, though Trump struck separate deals with Canada and Mexico to postpone 25% duties for a month, the tariff deadline for China passed at midnight today.

As a countermeasure, China announced that additional tariffs will be imposed on certain imported goods originating from the U.S. starting February 10, 2025, as per Anue.

According to the Anue report, a 15% tariff will be levied on coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Meanwhile, a 10% tariff will be imposed on crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement vehicles, and pickup trucks.

In a separate statement on Tuesday, China’s commerce ministry and customs officials also announced export controls on various critical minerals, including tungsten, tellurium, ruthenium, and molybdenum.

Read more

• [News] Biden Tightens Control on 14/16nm Chip Exports; Expands Blacklist to Include China’s Sophgo
• [News] Biden’s AI Chip Export Curbs in the Works: Key Points of Three-Tier System at a Glance
• [News] U.S. Chip Export Ban to China May Extend to 16nm Before Biden Leaves Office