Behind the Numbers: US-China Business Council’s 2026 Member Survey 

U.S. companies in China are navigating a widening gap between opportunity and risk. Even as profitability rebounds and China remains critical to companies’ global competitiveness, escalating tariffs, tightening export controls, and a fragile trade truce are forcing American businesses to rethink how —and whether— they operate there. 

In this conversation on August 3, National Committee President Steve Orlins interviews Sean Stein, president of the US-China Business Council (USCBC), about USCBC’s recently released 2026 Member Survey of 175 American companies doing business in China. Mr. Stein discusses why companies continue to view China as essential despite mounting headwinds, including bilateral tariffs, Chinese export controls on rare earths, and rising competition from increasingly capable Chinese firms. He also addresses the outlook for the U.S.-China trade truce, which is set to expire in November, and what American businesses say is needed from both governments to stabilize the relationship. 

Speaker

Sean Stein

Sean Stein has been president of the US-China Business Council since November 2024.  He served previously as the board chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in China and is the chair emeritus of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. He also co-chaired the China Public Policy Practice at Covington and Burling where he advised international businesses on political risk, public affairs, communications, and U.S. and China government relations. He regularly assisted companies to resolve acute or long-term issues in China and to navigate challenges caused by conflicting U.S. and Chinese policies and perceptions. 

Mr. Stein previously served for nearly three decades as a U.S. diplomat, including as consul general in Shenyang and Shanghai. He also served on the China desk at the State Department, at the former consulate general in Chengdu, and in other positions around the Indo-Pacific. Mr. Stein speaks Mandarin and Indonesian and is a graduate of Georgetown University.