China Slaps Up to 78% Tariffs on U.S. Fiber Optic Imports in First-Ever Anti-Circumvention Case

China will impose steep anti-dumping duties of up to 78.2% on certain U.S.-made fiber optic products starting Sept. 4, the Ministry of Commerce said Wednesday, escalating trade frictions between the world’s two largest economies.

The tariffs target a niche category of fibers known as cutoff wavelength-shifted single-mode fiber, or G.654.C fiber, optimized for long-haul and undersea networks. The ministry said U.S. producers were exporting these products to China in order to evade duties already applied to another fiber product.