China’s Commerce Ministry announced Sunday that it has launched an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation into US exports of sorghum, Chinese state media reports, amid a flurry of completed and ongoing US probes into exports from China.
The Trump administration recently slapped tariffs on washing machines and solar panels, hitting several Chinese manufacturers, but the moves showed a light touch, according to some. China’s biggest solar panel maker, JinkoSolar, said the outcome of the US probe was “better than expected.”
In response to the US tariffs, China’s hawkish Global Times urged Beijing to target US products in retaliation, specifically citing the agriculture industry.
Some observers have noted that officials in Beijing were eager to cut trade deals that benefited Trump’s political base. It makes sense that this apparent warning against further trade action would target the same group, which includes the agricultural industry.