The Chinese government has launched a trade investigation of butanol exports from the U.S., Malaysia and Taiwan. This looks like a normal course case rather than being part of a broader, putative trade war between the U.S. and China. Imports in total have increased 16% year-to-date vs. a year earlier. The three countries only accounted for 41% of the total though, raising the prospect of an extension to the case at a later stage.