A New Trade Reality: US Sanctions Against China Threaten Long-Standing B2B Partnerships
April 18, 2025
Global trade is entering a phase of instability. American companies are already counting their losses, and the world is bracing for a new wave of supply chain and contract reorientation.
Amid Washington’s political decisions to tighten trade sanctions against China, the global B2B sector is facing a serious challenge. The new measures — including bans on exporting high-tech products and expanded restrictions on cooperation with Chinese corporations — affect not only defense technologies but also civilian business sectors: from microchips to logistics chains.
Essentially, the US has officially pushed hundreds of companies toward breaking long-established partnerships that took years — sometimes decades — to build. This is already leading to contract terminations, halted joint projects, and, most importantly, multibillion-dollar losses that drag down related sectors such as logistics, finance, manufacturing, and IT.
What does this mean for global business?
• Corporations are losing access to the world’s largest manufacturing market
• Deliveries are disrupted, logistics are becoming more complicated, and supply chains require restructuring
• Profit margins are falling, and risks are rising due to geopolitical instability
• B2B contracts become toxic if they involve Chinese companies
What should businesses do?
In the face of this new reality, companies will have to:
• Assess risks in global supply chains
• Seek new partnership directions and sales markets
• Strengthen regional and intra-European ties
• Work with legally protected structures that can flexibly adapt to the regulatory environment
“The world is changing — and business must respond faster than ever. Contracts no longer guarantee stability if they are tied to sanction zones. Those who manage to adapt quickly will survive,” analysts in Europe emphasize.
This trend is an opportunity for new structures that know how to act flexibly, with legal precision and technological competence. These are the companies that will shape the configuration of the post-sanctions B2B landscape in the coming years.
