China curbs drone exports to US, blacklists 6 American firms
Why it matters: Beijing widened its response to new US tariffs with export controls, sanctions and import security probes.
China tightened drone export controls to the United States and blacklisted six American companies on Wednesday, expanding retaliation after Washington imposed new trade sanctions tied to forced labor and national security concerns. Beijing said the measures cover drones, key components and related technology bound for the US. It also suspended some factory follow-up inspections by Chinese certification bodies, blacklisted US compliance testing companies, and opened national security investigations into imports of office printers and copiers. The sanctioned firms include Applied DNA Sciences and Stratum Reservoir. The move follows fresh US tariffs on China and 59 other countries, adding strain to a trade truce reached after Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met in October 2025.