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Litigators of the Week: DOJ Drops 15-Year Economic Espionage Case Against China's ...

Law • July 17, 2026

John Potter, Bob Feldman and Michael Packard of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan represented Chinese state-owned enterprise Pangang Group and three of its affiliates charged with illegally acquiring DuPont trade secrets related to the white pigment titanium oxide.

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DOJ Dismisses 15-Year Economic Espionage Case Against Pangang Group The U.S. Department of Justice has dropped its espionage charges against China's Pangang Group, a state-owned enterprise, which were based on allegations of a conspiracy to steal DuPont's trade secrets related to titanium dioxide manufacturing. This decision comes just days into a trial that had been anticipated to last a month, concluding a 15-year legal battle. The charges claimed that Pangang, with the backing of the Chinese government, sought to unlawfully acquire proprietary information from DuPont, a major player in the chemical industry. The dismissal was confirmed by Pangang's lead attorney, John Potter, who represents the company and its affiliates. The case's end marks a significant moment in U.S.-China trade relations, particularly in the context of economic espionage. The implications of this case extend to international trade practices and intellectual property rights. The trial's abrupt conclusion raises questions about the effectiveness of U.S. legal measures against foreign economic espionage. 2 sources 43

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DuPont Pangang Group