Washington Slows Aircraft Parts to Pressure China

The Trump administration is slowing some aircraft-parts exports to China as it looks for leverage in trade negotiations, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Reuters. The reported measures target a sector where Chinese airlines and planemaker COMAC still depend heavily on U.S. suppliers, turning civilian aviation supply chains into another pressure point in the wider U.S.-China economic confrontation.

Reuters reported that the Commerce Department has slowed export licensing for airplane parts bound for China and has limited the quantity of some parts licensed for shipment to state-owned COMAC. Officials have also discussed a rule that could make it easier to restrict landing gear and other aircraft components, with one draft including a new licensing requirement for U.S.-supplied aviation hydraulic fluid.

The episode exposes the vulnerability that sits alongside China’s rapid push to compress the distance from research to industrial production. China has built domestic capacity across batteries, electric vehicles, telecommunications, rail and other strategic sectors, but commercial aviation remains more dependent on foreign engines, avionics and specialized components. That dependence gives Washington a chokepoint it can use even when tariffs alone are not enough.

The Commerce Department and White House did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment, and the Chinese embassy in Washington also did not comment on the latest report. The central claim about the current slowdown therefore remains sourced reporting rather than a formal U.S. announcement. Beijing has previously accused Washington of abusing export controls after similar restrictions were imposed during earlier trade disputes.

The pressure is unfolding during a temporary easing in the broader trade fight. U.S. and Chinese officials met in September over rare earths, agricultural trade and artificial intelligence, and the two governments recently extended a tariff truce until January 10, 2027. But the truce has not removed the underlying struggle over industrial dependence. Washington wants more reliable access to Chinese rare earth materials, while Beijing remains exposed to U.S.-linked aerospace supply chains.

China has also sought several years of spare parts for roughly 200 Boeing aircraft it agreed to purchase, Reuters reported. U.S. officials have been reluctant to provide long-term guarantees because the parts could be retained as bargaining leverage in future negotiations. Boeing said it remains committed to supporting Chinese airlines in line with U.S. export requirements.

This is not the first time aviation has been pulled into the trade war. In 2025, the United States temporarily suspended licenses for GE Aerospace engines, Honeywell navigation systems and other products used by COMAC, while also imposing a short-lived licensing requirement on aviation hydraulic fluid. Those restrictions were later eased, but they demonstrated how quickly commercial supply chains can be converted into instruments of state pressure.

For China, the strategic answer is obvious even if it is technically difficult: reduce dependence on foreign suppliers across engines, avionics, landing gear and the other complex systems that make a modern airliner possible. For Washington, preserving those dependencies creates bargaining power. The result is a feedback loop in which export controls meant to slow Chinese industrial autonomy also give Beijing another reason to accelerate it.

Sources: Reuters — U.S. slows aircraft-part exports to China · Bureau of Industry and Security — Commerce Control List · Photo source: N509FZ / Wikimedia Commons