China announced it will ban exports to ten U.S. defense companies, including rare-earth mineral miners, and prohibit purchases from 46 American firms such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. The move is a response to the Pentagon's recent designation of Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD as Chinese military companies, according to state media reports.
China has imposed new export restrictions on ten U.S. defense companies and banned purchases from 46 American firms, including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, according to state-linked media reports. The restrictions target rare-earth mineral miners among the listed firms. The move follows the Pentagon's recent decision to designate Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD as Chinese military companies, which prohibits U.S. military-affiliated entities from doing business with them — though civilian commercial ties remain permitted.
As The Zioneer previously reported, the Pentagon's June 10 designation of these firms as having ties to the People's Liberation Army triggered a sharp response from Beijing. China's Commerce Ministry had warned of 'resolute and forceful' countermeasures. The new curbs appear to be the first concrete implementation of that threat.
The U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party recently revealed that JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America had helped CATL — a Chinese battery firm already designated as a military company in 2025 — raise billions of dollars. The new restrictions expand the scope of U.S.-China commercial friction beyond the battery sector into rare-earth supply chains critical for defense manufacturing.
It remains unclear whether the export bans will affect existing contracts or only future sales. The Pentagon has not yet commented on the Chinese measures.
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