China bans imports of illumina genetic sequencers amid trade tensions

March 04, 2025 (MLN): China announced a ban on Tuesday on imports of genetic sequencers from U.S. medical equipment maker Illumina, just minutes after U.S. President Donald Trump's additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods took effect.

The ban is part of a series of measures China announced in response to the extra U.S. tariffs and comes after Beijing put Illumina on its "unreliable entity" list in February.

China accounts for about 7% of Illumina's sales, as Reuters reported.

Gene sequencers help determine the sequence of DNA or RNA, allowing scientists to study genetic variations associated with diseases and diagnose rare genetic conditions.

The ban takes effect from March 4.

China's commerce ministry said in a statement that Illumina had suspended normal transactions with Chinese enterprises and taken discriminatory measures against Chinese enterprises.

Illumina did not reply to a request for comment outside of regular U.S. business hours.

In February, China also put PVH Corp, the holding company for brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, on its unreliable entity list and announced an investigation into Google as part of a wide range of measures targeting U.S. businesses.

Companies added to the list can be subject to fines and a broad range of other sanctions, including a freeze on trade and revocation of work permits for foreign staff.

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