Ministry of Commerce: Initiating a national security investigation into the foreign trade of relevant imported printing and copying office equipment.

On August 5, the Ministry of Commerce announced the initiation of a trade national security investigation concerning certain imported printing and copying office equipment. In accordance with Article 41 of the Foreign Trade Law of the People's Republic of China, in order to maintain the order of foreign trade, the Ministry of Commerce may independently or in conjunction with other relevant departments of the State Council investigate matters concerning national security interests in foreign trade. Preliminary information indicates that imported printing and copying office equipment equipped with foreign operating systems may affect national security interests in foreign trade, falling under the circumstances described in Article 41 of the Foreign Trade Law of the People's Republic of China. Based on Articles 41 and 42 of the Foreign Trade Law, the Ministry of Commerce has decided to initiate an investigation starting from August 5, 2026, concerning national security interests in foreign trade. The relevant matters are hereby announced as follows: I. Investigation Targets and Matters (1) Investigation Targets. The targets of this investigation are imported office equipment with printing and copying functions that are equipped with foreign operating systems. Foreign operating systems refer to driver software and embedded software developed, tested, or maintained by foreign individuals or entities. (2) Investigation Matters. To assess the impact of goods, technologies, and services in foreign trade on national security interests in China, the investigating agency may investigate the following matters: (1) The import status of the investigation targets; (2) The impact of imported products, technologies, or services on national security interests; (3) The domestic demand situation in relevant fields and the degree of reliance on foreign goods, technologies, or services; (4) The current development status of relevant domestic industries and the impact of imports; (5) The ability and level of relevant domestic industries to meet domestic demand and national security interests; (6) The impact of relevant foreign government policies and measures on national security interests in China; (7) Other matters affecting national security interests in foreign trade. II. Investigation Procedures In accordance with Article 42 of the Foreign Trade Law of the People's Republic of China, the investigation may be conducted through written questionnaires, hearings, on-site investigations, commissioned investigations, and other methods. Based on the investigation results, the Ministry of Commerce will prepare an investigation report or make a processing decision and issue an announcement. III. Investigation Timeline This investigation should be completed within 12 months from the date of the announcement of the decision to file the case, with the possibility of extension in special circumstances. IV. Access to Public Information During the investigation process, stakeholders may query public information regarding the case through the sub-website of the Trade Relief Investigation Bureau on the Ministry of Commerce website, or visit the Trade Relief Public Information Reading Room of the Ministry of Commerce (Phone: 0086-10-65197878) to find, read, photocopy, and copy publicly available information related to the case. V. Submission of Comments and Opinions Stakeholders may submit written comments regarding the case filing and investigation procedures within 30 days from the publication date of this announcement to the Trade Relief Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce. VI. Submission and Handling of Information Stakeholders submitting comments, responses, etc., during the investigation process should submit electronic versions through the "Trade Relief Investigation Information Platform" (https://etrb.mofcom.gov.cn) and simultaneously provide written versions as required by the Ministry of Commerce. The content of the electronic version and written version should be the same, and the format should remain consistent. If stakeholders believe that the information they provide will result in serious adverse effects if disclosed, they may apply to the Ministry of Commerce for confidential treatment of that information and provide reasons. If the Ministry of Commerce agrees to the request, the stakeholder requesting confidentiality must also provide a non-confidential summary of the confidential information. The non-confidential summary should contain sufficient and meaningful information to enable other stakeholders to have a reasonable understanding of the confidential information. If a non-confidential summary cannot be provided, reasons must be stated. If stakeholders do not specify the need for confidentiality regarding the information they submit, the Ministry of Commerce will treat that information as public. VII. Contact Information Address: No. 2 Dongchang'an Street, Beijing Postal Code: 100731 Trade Relief Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Commerce Phone: 0086-10-65198474, 65198194 Fax: 0086-10-65198172 Website: https://trb.mofcom.gov.cn Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China August 5, 2026 This article is selected from the official website of the "Ministry of Commerce," edited by Liu Jiayin.