Analysts said the move signalled a warning from Beijing, as Mexico’s planned duties – affecting a range of countries, but sparing the US and Canada – are widely seen as an attempt to curry favour with Washington.
On Thursday, China’s Ministry of Commerce launched an anti-dumping investigation into pecans from Mexico and the US, expected to last one year.
On the same day, the ministry also launched a separate probe into whether Mexico has erected trade barriers against Chinese products. If confirmed, Beijing could pursue bilateral talks or escalate the case to a multilateral dispute resolution body, such as the World Trade Organization.
“I see this as a bit of a ‘muscle flex’ on the part of China. It is demonstrating that it feels in a strong enough position so that it doesn’t need to tiptoe around or avoid provocative actions,” said Stephen Olson, a visiting senior fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute and a former US trade negotiator.
