US to probe if China violated Phase One trade deal

Business Oct 24, 2025

The US is gearing up to launch a Section 301 investigation into whether China kept its promises from the 2020 Phase One trade deal, which asked China to buy $200 billion more in US goods and improve access for American companies.
Reports say China fell short, partly because of pandemic disruptions.

Probe could lead to new tariffs on Chinese products

If the investigation finds China broke the deal, we could see new tariffs on Chinese products—right as tensions are already heating up between both countries.
With a big Trump-Xi Jinping meeting coming on October 30 and recent tariff hikes and export controls in play, this probe could have broad implications for global trade and prices.
It's another sign that US-China trade relations are getting even more complicated.