The United States and China are intensifying a legal arms race with competing sanctions and regulations that trap global firms in conflicting compliance demands. This development comes amid US President Donald Trump’s visit to China and ongoing disruptions from the US-Iran war.
Washington and Beijing have rolled out rival legal and regulatory regimes in recent months. These measures aim to secure strategic advantages in trade, technology and security disputes.
Global companies from South Korea to the Netherlands now face an impossible position. They cannot meet one side’s rules without breaking the other’s, analysts said.
US authorities recently imposed sanctions on several Chinese entities over Iran trade links. This includes five oil refiners that Beijing had tried to protect the previous week. The actions add further strain to bilateral ties already pressured by energy supply disruptions.