The United States has significantly increased its use of sanctions against Chinese companies in the last four years. Since 2019, when the Trump administration blocked the federal procurement of telecommunications equipment from Huawei and several other Chinese suppliers, a steady drip of new restrictions have made it harder to do business with hundreds of Chinese firms.  But how exactly does the sanctions system work? Headlines tend to lump together a variety of trade and business restrictions under the term ‘sanctions,’ but their nature and severity vary widely. This week, The Wire takes stock of the U.S.'s China sanctions: who manages them, whom they target, and what they mean for the future of U.S. trade and business with China. Data: U.S. government agencies MANY LISTS At least five federal agencies oversee the designation and enforcement of sanctions against Chinese companies. Those agencies manage multiple lists that impose different levels of restrictions