China escalates trade tensions with anti-dumping probe into Japanese imports

China opened an anti-dumping probe into dichlorosilane imports from Japan, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce. The case was triggered by an application filed by Tangshan Sanfu Electronic Materials Co.

Officials said the review covers shipments from July 2024 through June 2025. The ministry set a one-year deadline for the investigation, with room to extend it by six more months if required.

Dichlorosilane is used to make thin films needed for logic, memory, analog, and other chips. The ministry listed the material as part of core chip production.

The probe landed alongside wider trade pressure on Japan. It also came months after Donald Trump, the 47th president of the United States, said he had solved rare earth supply risks during talks with Chinese leaders.

Trade restrictions widen as Beijing presses Tokyo

Beijing raised pressure on Tokyo this week by blocking dual-use exports for military purposes. Officials said the step could affect about 40% of Chinese exports to Japan.

Authorities also warned of tighter rules on rare earth materials, which Japan needs for its auto industry, including electric vehicle production. Hours after those steps, the commerce ministry opened the dichlorosilane probe, extending the dispute into semiconductor inputs.

The measures followed comments by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan. Beijing has demanded she withdraw remarks that suggested Japan could use military force if Taiwan were taken.

The response has been firm. Rare earth controls also put pressure on Washington. Trump had said Beijing promised continued shipments of metals used in products ranging from jet engines to missile systems.

Takaichi has not changed her position. With strong backing at home, she has declined to retract her Taiwan comments despite repeated requests from Beijing. Her government has protested the trade steps but has avoided retaliation.

Officials have cited risks to domestic industry, as Japanese carmakers rely on Chinese-sourced components to build electric vehicles.

Allies coordinate while regional balance shifts

Japan has kept the United States informed as relations with China continue to strain. Days before the export limits, Takaichi said she had an “extremely meaningful” phone call with Trump and confirmed plans to visit the US later this year.

After the curbs were announced, Masaaki Kanai, an assistant minister at Japan’s Foreign Ministry, spoke with his US counterpart. A Japanese statement said both sides agreed on “close coordination”, without offering details.

China has also worked to shape regional ties. The timing of the export controls appeared aimed at splitting Japan from South Korea, another US ally. Beijing announced the measures hours after Lee Jae Myung posed for photos with Xi Jinping during the first state visit to China by a South Korean leader since 2019.

The contrast stood out. Less than three years ago, leaders from Japan and South Korea stood with Joe Biden at a summit in Camp David to launch what they called a new phase of cooperation against threats from China and North Korea.

That unity now looks strained.

Lee addressed the issue while speaking to reporters in Shanghai. “For us, relations with Japan are as important as those with China,” he said, pointing to the hard choices facing regional partners as the dispute continues.

If tensions rise further, Japan has leverage of its own. The country controls up to 90% of the global market for advanced photoresists, a key material for chipmaking. Bloomberg said export limits in that sector could seriously slow China’s chip plans. The research group added that replacing those supplies would take years, not months.

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