NYT: Trump administration halts export of key jet engine technology to China

US President Donald Trump has ordered a halt to the export of critical jet engine components and technology to China, a move that could deal a significant blow to Beijing’s efforts to establish a self-sufficient commercial aviation industry, The New York Times reported.

According to a source familiar with the matter, the US Commerce Department has suspended certain export licenses previously granted to American companies, which permitted them to supply products and technical know-how to the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (Comac).

Comac, which relies heavily on engines manufactured by GE Aerospace for its flagship C919 passenger jet, now faces a major disruption to its supply chain. The engines in question are branded under CFM International Inc., a joint venture between GE Aerospace and France’s Safran SA.

This latest restriction by Washington marks another escalation in the ongoing US-China trade war, further complicating relations between the two economic superpowers. Earlier in the trade dispute, China had temporarily halted deliveries from Boeing in retaliation against rising tariffs. That decision was later reversed after both countries agreed to a temporary truce.

In a separate statement addressing semiconductor export policies, a Commerce Department spokesperson told Bloomberg News, “The Commerce Department is reviewing exports of strategic significance to China. In some cases, Commerce has suspended existing export licenses or imposed additional license requirements while the review is pending.”

Neither GE Aerospace nor Comac has issued an immediate response to the latest developments.

Despite the restrictions, Comac may not experience an immediate crisis. According to a report by Bloomberg last month, the Chinese manufacturer has already stockpiled enough engines to assemble dozens of aircraft this year, potentially allowing it to avoid a short-term production bottleneck.

By Tamilla Hasanova