China has launched an antitrust investigation into Google alongside retaliatory tariffs after the US imposed 10 per cent tariffs on products from the country.
The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said it initiated the inquiry into the US internet search giant – which pulled its search service out of mainland China in 2010 – on suspicion that it violated the country’s antitrust laws, according to a one-line announcement on the regulator’s website on Tuesday.
The move is seen as part of China’s response to the tariffs imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump. The market regulator announced the move in tandem with China’s State Council announcing 15 per cent additional tariffs on US coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as 10 per cent additional tariffs on crude oil, agriculture machinery and pickup trucks.
On Tuesday, the last day of the country’s week-long Lunar New Year holiday, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced fresh export controls for certain metals: tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum and indium. It also said it would put Calvin Klein owner PVH and biotech company Illumina on Beijing’s unreliable entity list.
The SAMR did not identify Google’s alleged violations. Most Google services – including search, Gmail, Google Maps – are not available in mainland China, but the US tech giant has maintained some operations in the country, particularly for advertising.