News

Bård Breda Bjerken

Land-based fish farming in China

20/10/2025

China levies special port fees on US-Linked vessels

On 10 October 2025, the Chinese Ministry of Transport (Ministry) announced that it would impose special port fees (Special Port Fees) against vessels with a US nexus calling at Chinese ports. These were adopted in response to the fees and trade restrictions introduced by the United States Trade Representative earlier this year targeting China-linked vessels (USTR Fees).

16/10/2025

New EU tariffs on steel and Chinese export controls on rare earths

On October 7, 2025, the EU Commission proposed new protective measures on steel. Subsequently, on October 9, 2025, China announced new export controls on rare earths. These two measures are among several recently announced by major trading nations, reflecting the current tense geopolitical landscape. They also affect stakeholders in third countries, including Norway.

04/06/2025

China enhances sanctions countermeasures amidst escalating trade tensions

On 23 March 2025, China introduced the new Provisions on Implementing the Anti-foreign Sanctions Law (the "Provisions"), which took effect immediately. These Provisions are designed to protect what China perceives as lawful commercial interests against the extraterritorial application of sanctions or other restrictive measures. Given the increasing global trade tensions and the expansion of international sanctions, companies are at risk of being caught between incompatible rulesets.

23/04/2025

Ramifications of the Targeted Action by the U.S. Trade Representative following Chinese Maritime Investigation

We examine the effect on various English law governed maritime contracts from the targeted action by the U.S. Trade Representative seeking to reduce the power of Chinese parties in the maritime sector.

14/03/2025

PIPL: Navigating the Evolving Data Protection Landscape in China

In recent years, China has witnessed substantial changes in its regulatory framework for handling personal information, with more updates on the horizon. While the compliance burden has eased, companies must still adhere to the fundamental requirements of the Personal Information Protection Law. Systematic enforcement by the authorities has also begun, making compliance more critical than ever.

15/02/2024

China expands legislation for private sector corruption

China has amended its criminal law for the 12th time with effect from 1 March 2024 by increasing penalties and adding employees of private companies to some bribery and corruption offences that currently only apply to employees of state-owned enterprises.

11/12/2023

Safeguarding Your Trademark: Protecting Your Brand in China

Trademark registration plays a vital role in securing trademark protection in China. Over 7 million trademark applications were submitted for registration in China in 2022 according to an official report from China's Trademark Office ("CTMO"). As of the end of 2022, the total number of registered trademarks in China exceeded 42 million.

31/05/2023

Life after subsidies in the offshore wind market in China

Offshore wind power is a promising renewable energy source that can help the world achieve its carbon neutrality goals and China is one of the world’s largest offshore wind markets. However, the Chinese offshore wind sector is changing, especially after the government subsidies for offshore wind projects were phased out at the end of 2021.

31/05/2023

De-risking China – international companies respond to pressure to diversify supply chains

The world relies heavily on China for its supply chains and access to strategic resources. Whilst the geopolitical risk may be increasing, a complete decoupling is still undesirable for most companies. Faced with mounting pressure to diversify out of China, many foreign companies are therefore exploring alternative de-risking strategies to help with effective supply chain diversification and key-asset distribution.

11/12/2022

ESG and the Chinese Shipping Industry

ESG has been developing for decades internationally, in particular in the West, but has not been as well known in mainland China until more recently. Now, however, ESG is increasingly seen as a political priority aligned with the goal of “common prosperity” and therefore firmly on the agenda of large Chinese companies. This includes many shipping companies, where it is also expected that China’s push within green shipping will lead to more mandatory ESG obligations being introduced.

10/07/2022

Status on China’s offshore wind power development

Mainland China has become the largest offshore wind market in the world. An overall industry chain has been established which encompasses complete offshore wind installation and operation, as well as maintenance and spare parts manufacturing, presenting an attractive market for both domestic and foreign companies.