China announced on Tuesday a ban on importing genetic sequencers from U.S. medical equipment maker Illumina (ILMN.O), just minutes after U.S. President Donald Trump’s additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods took effect.

The ban is part of a broader set of retaliatory measures from Beijing following the new U.S. tariffs and comes after China placed Illumina on its “unreliable entity” list in February. China accounts for approximately 7% of Illumina’s total sales. The company’s gene sequencers are critical tools for analyzing DNA and RNA, helping scientists identify genetic variations linked to diseases and diagnose rare conditions.

The ban takes effect on March 4.

In a statement, China’s commerce ministry accused Illumina of suspending normal transactions with Chinese businesses and imposing discriminatory measures against them.

Illumina, responding to Reuters’ inquiries, stated that it would continue serving its customers in China and remained “committed to operating in compliance with the latest guidelines from the Ministry of Commerce.” The company added that it was evaluating the announcement to fully understand its impact on operations in China.

While Beijing refrained from targeting major U.S. corporate giants—unlike its February 4 retaliation against earlier U.S. tariffs—Illumina became the most high-profile company affected by this latest round of measures.

Source: NEWSCENTRALAFRICA