The White House’s Section 301 investigations were launched to identify structural excess capacity among 16 trading partners, including China
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenYuanyue Dangin WashingtonPublished: 6:45am, 6 May 2026Updated: 6:45am, 6 May 2026China urged the United States to drop its latest Section 301 investigations into alleged excess capacity, calling the probe legally flawed at a Washington hearing just days before a planned summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.“[It] lacks sufficient statutory basis and supporting evidence” and “circumvents several established multilateral mechanisms”, Michelle Zang, speaking on behalf of the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), a state-backed trade body, told the hearing.
Tuesday’s hearing comes less than two weeks before Trump’s planned visit to China, where trade disputes are expected to feature prominently in talks with Xi. If the investigation finds unfair trade practices, defined as “unreasonable acts”, it could give the White House a legal basis to impose new tariffs on China and other major trading partners.
‘We have a deal’: Trump claims breakthrough after ‘12 out of 10’ talks with Xi Jinping
‘We have a deal’: Trump claims breakthrough after ‘12 out of 10’ talks with Xi Jinping“Excess capacity is an economic condition, not a government conduct,” Zang said. “We urge the investigation to accurately identify government conduct with specificity, not merely point to aggregate economic outcomes.”
