Navigating China's Export Curbs on Japan: A Frontline Legal Playbook

The tungsten price surge is this story's market face; this interview is the legal frontline report. Veteran China-practice lawyer Hiromo Nakagawa tells Toyo Keizai that inquiries from Japanese companies have climbed steadily since Beijing's February 24 entity list—and anxiety extends far beyond listed firms to suppliers, customers and third-country traders all asking the same question: are we covered?

His practical sequence is worth copying. First, inventory: map procurement and sales items against China's control lists to define exposure. Second, assess restructuring room—changing transaction entities, adjusting contract terms. Third, apply for licenses where needed while launching non-China sourcing in parallel. The one thing to avoid is waiting: enforcement discretion is wide, and reacting only after a shipment stalls doubles the cost. For Taiwanese manufacturers, whose cross-strait supply chains run even deeper, control-list mapping now belongs in routine risk management.