China has announced an antitrust investigation into global search engine giant Google potentially in response to new tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump escalating trade tensions between the two giants. The move that’s largely seen as “retaliatory” comes as the 10 percent tariff that Trump ordered on China is set to go into effect, though things could change after his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the coming days.
The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) will probe Google for alleged antitrust violations, according to a Bloomberg report. While granular details remain unclear, the probe is likely to focus on Google’s apparent dominance in the Chinese market to see if it employed any business practices that were seemingly unfair for competitors.
In addition to the probe, China has slapped fresh tariffs on US imports—15 percent on coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG) and 10 percent on oil and agricultural equipment—shortly after Trump announced a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods. Trump’s argument is that it would prevent the flow of illegal drugs into the US. Tariffs have similarly been imposed on Mexico and Canada.
