The US opens investigation into China's non-compliance with the Phase One trade agreement of 2020

By Pedro Lima São Paulo, 24/10/2025 - The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced this Friday the opening of a new investigation into China's compliance with the so-called Phase One agreement - the trade pact signed in January 2020 between Washington and Beijing that provided for structural changes in Chinese intellectual property policies, technology transfer, agriculture, and financial services, as well as goals for purchasing American products. According to the official document, the investigation was initiated by order of the president, Donald Trump, following the "apparent non-compliance by the Chinese government" of commitments made almost five years ago. The USTR wants to determine whether China has violated or failed to fulfill obligations of the agreement, "denying benefits" to the US. The USTR recalled that the 2020 agreement was considered "a decisive step towards a fairer and more reciprocal trade relationship with China," but stated that the ...