Government Eases Trade Restrictions on Exports to China

Commerce Secretary Malcolm Baldrige announced today that the U.S. government will relax trade restrictions on a variety of items bound for export to China.

Baldrige, calling the move “a major step ahead in trade with China,” said the relaxation of controls will speed the processing of export applications for as much as 75% of the goods shipped to China.

The commerce secretary said the licensing changes will expand from the current seven to 27 the categories of products that can now go to China without special review.

Items eligible for the speeded-up processing, Baldrige said, include computers, machine tools, semiconductors, robotics and electronic instruments.