China Hits Back with 5 Countermeasures Against the U.S.

On August 5, 2026, China’s Ministry of Commerce and other relevant departments officially announced five countermeasures against the United States in response to recent negative U.S. actions concerning China. All measures took effect on the date of announcement. The details are as follows:

• Strengthened Export Controls on Drone-Related Dual-Use Items to the U.S.
  In accordance with the Export Control Law of the People’s Republic of China and other relevant regulations, exports to the U.S. of drones and their key components and related technologies listed on the dual-use item export control list will be subject to strict case-by-case review. License facilitation measures will no longer apply.

• Suspension of Post-Certification Factory Follow-up Inspections by U.S.-Based CCC Certification Bodies
  The Certification and Accreditation Administration of China announced the immediate suspension of post-certification factory follow-up inspections carried out by U.S.-based certification bodies entrusted by China’s mandatory product certification (CCC certification) designated agencies.

• Inclusion of a U.S. Compliance Testing Company on the Countermeasure List
  With approval from the national counter-foreign-sanctions coordination mechanism, Chinese organizations and individuals are prohibited from conducting any transactions or cooperative activities with this company. The entity was added to the list for assisting and supporting the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s negative measures concerning China.

• Inclusion of 6 Entities Assisting Illegal U.S. Sanctions Related to Xinjiang on the Countermeasure List
  In response to six U.S. entities that assisted and supported illegal U.S. sanctions related to Xinjiang, China decided to place them on the countermeasure list, prohibiting domestic entities from engaging in transactions or cooperation with them. The entities include: Applied DNA Sciences, Stratum Reservoir, Altana Technologies, the Responsible Business Alliance, Vitec Group, and Human Rights in China.

• Launch of a National Security Investigation into Imports of Office Equipment
  The Ministry of Commerce initiated a national security investigation into imported office equipment with printing and copying functions that contain foreign system software. The investigation period is set at 12 months in principle, with possible extensions under special circumstances. This marks China’s first national security investigation related to foreign trade.

China has made it clear that these countermeasures are generally restrained. However, if the U.S. insists on introducing new restrictive measures against China, China will take further counteractions.