Overview

• China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has launched an antitrust investigation into Google's operations, with analysts speculating the focus may be on its Android operating system.
• Apple is under consideration for an antitrust probe into its App Store policies, including its 30% fee on in-app purchases and restrictions on third-party payment services.
• Shares of Apple dropped by over 2% following reports of the potential investigation, adding to the company's challenges in China, where it has lost market share to domestic competitors like Huawei and Vivo.
• Two other U.S. companies, Illumina and PVH Corp., were added to China's 'unreliable entity' list, signaling potential future sanctions but with no immediate penalties announced.
• These actions by China come as a response to new U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, highlighting escalating trade tensions and the increasing targeting of major U.S. tech firms in the geopolitical dispute.