China is investigating Google for Trump’s rates

Chinese government has announced on Tuesday that it is opening an investigation Google In response to 10 percent tariffs imposed on Chinese imports by US President Donald Trump. Minutes After the rates It has come into force, the State Administration of China for the regulation of the market said it is investigating the US technology giant to potential violation of the country’s antitrust law.

The Chinese government may have chosen strategically to continue after Google, as there are limited operations in the country, ensuring that the hit of the US technology giant will be relatively minimal. This move gives China a lot of space to escalate if the Trump administration has announced additional tariffs or other commercial measures. Google declined to comment.

China has also announced that it has set more restrictions on the sale of some critical minerals such as tungsten and slaps additional tariffs for agricultural equipment, pickups, liquefied natural gas, coal and other US goods. Although the US does not rely on China for all affected minerals, the country controls the bigger part of the world’s supply of tungsten, which is used in light bulbs, semiconductors and ammunition.

“China’s position is firm and consistent. Commercial and tariff wars have no winners, “China’s Foreign Ministry said in statement Sunday shortly after the tariffs are announced. “This move cannot solve the problems of the United States at home, and more importantly, it does not take advantage of both sides, even less the world.”

China has kept Google in its crossed hairs during the continuing trade war with the United States over the last few years. In 2020, the government reports that regarded as opening An antitrust investigation into Google’s Android business, according to Reuters. The discussions followed a complaint from the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, which was directed by Trump during his first term.

Because of us, US sanctions, Huawei is not able to use software created by American language such as Google Mobile Services, a set of tools widely used in smartphone industry. Restrictions forced the company to develop operating system Called Harmony OS.

But most smartphones all over the world still runs Of Android, which provoked competition investigations in a number of countries, some of which have led to Concession changes Designed to give users and developers of applications more choice and lower fees. In China, several Smartphone manufacturers Continue relying on an open source Android version.

In the past December source of commercial sparring between the US and China. The message came shortly after Biden’s administration further tightened China’s access to high -end semiconductors.

About 15 years ago, Google suspended offering The search attempt adapted to China after a series of Chinese government -related cyberattack Against him and other US companies. Google debatable Re -entering China with a search engine for seven years agoBut the project was shaken After protests by some employees concerned about the support of Chinese observation and censorship.

Google has also stopped the sale directly Cloud technology in ChinaAs local laws could endanger the guarantees of the confidentiality and security it offers to customers in other markets. Other Google Services Like YouTube are blocked by Chinese Internet regulators.

China has allowed local companies to buy ads through Google so that they can be available on the market for customers abroad. But the revenue from these deals is relatively small and China did not even receive a mention in the parent company Alphabet Annual financial statement Last year. This is in contrast to Meta, which list China among its largest markets regarding the location of the advertiser and said last year that advertisers based in China represent 10 percent of its annual revenueS