US adds Alibaba, Baidu, BYD and NIO to Pentagon blacklist
Why it matters: The designation can bar direct Pentagon contracts and tighten third-party purchasing limits starting in 2027.
China’s commerce ministry pushed back after the United States added several major Chinese companies to a Pentagon list of firms it says aid China’s military. The updated roster includes Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, NIO, Trina Solar and JA Solar Technology. Beijing called the move erroneous and warned it would retaliate if Chinese companies were not treated fairly. The Pentagon update replaces an earlier 2025 list and came about a month after Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met in Beijing and preserved a fragile trade-war truce. Under US law, the Defense Department will be blocked from contracting directly with listed companies and face restrictions on buying their goods or services through third parties from 2027.