China first added the global leader in genetic sequencing to its unreliable entity list in February together with Calvin Klein owner PVH, saying they infringed the principles of market transactions and undertook damaging actions against Chinese companies, without elaborating or spelling out the implications.
China banned the import of Illumina gene-sequencing machines as part of a wave of retaliatory measures against fresh US tariffs on all Chinese goods, deepening the US company’s woes in one of its key markets.
The Ministry of Commerce in Beijing announced the ban with immediate effect on Tuesday, marking the most concrete restriction against the company. There was no mention of what would happen to Illumina’s existing machines in the country, or whether it can still export reagents, which are needed to run experiments.
