China imposes 99.2% duty on Japanese chip chemical, Japan protests

September 8, 2026 at 06:52 PM1 min

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China imposed provisional anti-dumping duties of up to 99.2% on imports of dichlorosilane from Japan, a chemical used in semiconductor manufacturing. Japan protested the measure on Tuesday, saying it is studying the impact on Japanese companies.

Key Facts

China's provisional duty on Japanese dichlorosilane reaches 99.2% and applies to Shin-Etsu Chemical and Denal Silane.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Tokyo will respond appropriately to avoid unfair harm to Japanese companies.
Dichlorosilane is used in chemical vapor deposition for semiconductor logic and memory chips, and Japan is the leading producer of ultrapure DCS.
China's commerce ministry launched the anti-dumping probe into Japanese DCS as part of measures against Japan, which also include export controls on dual-use items.

The Duty

Beginning Tuesday, companies importing dichlorosilane from Japan must provide cash deposits to China's customs at rates of up to 99.2%. The measure applies to Shin-Etsu Chemical and Denal Silane, among other Japanese exporters of DCS. Beijing says the measure is provisional as an investigation continues, with a final ruling to come later.

Japan's Response

Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, protested against the controls on Tuesday. Kihara said Tokyo would respond appropriately to avoid unfair harm to Japanese companies. Japan is studying the potential impact on Japanese companies, according to the government.

Trade Tensions

Relations between China and Japan have been strained since November, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan's military could intervene if China used military force on Taiwan. China's commerce ministry launched its anti-dumping probe into Japanese DCS as part of various measures against Japan. Beijing has also imposed export controls on Japanese firms for dual-use items that can be used for military purposes.