China imposes export restrictions on 28 US defense companies

Beijing 's sanctions include companies such as General Dynamics, Raytheon, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and others. CHINA  is the third largest trading partner of the United States . Only Mexico and CANADA are ahead of it.

China's Commerce Ministry has added 28 US companies to its EXPORT control list.

The restrictions were imposed to "protect national security and interests," the department said, due to U.S. arms supplies to Taiwan.

Among the companies:

• General Dynamics;
• Raytheon;
• Boeing;
• Lockheed Martin;
• Space & Security.

Ten companies were also placed on a so-called unreliable entity list linked to arms sales to Taiwan, preventing them from doing any business in China and banning their executives from entering or residing in the country.

The sanctions war between the US and China has been going on for several years, but recently both countries have increasingly tightened their mutual restrictions. In December, Beijing imposed a direct ban on the export of a number of materials to the US that, according to the Chinese authorities, could have potential military applications. Gallium, germanium, antimony, and superhard materials (which ones exactly were not specified) were banned. All of these metals are important for the production of semiconductor components.

As REUTERS reported , the new anti-American sanctions add to the already severe restrictions on mineral exports that Beijing has been gradually introducing since last year. They follow a threat by US President-elect Donald Trump (who will take office on January 20) to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on all Chinese imports . “This move represents a significant escalation of tensions in supply chains where access to raw materials in the West is already difficult,” Jack Bedder, co-founder of the consultancy Project Blue, told the agency.

China is the third largest trading partner of the United States, ahead of only Mexico and Canada. Trump waged a “trade war” with China during his first term, and in his election platform promised to revoke China’s most-favored-nation status in trade.

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