China slaps export controls on 10 US firms in escalating drone and tech war

China’s Ministry of Commerce just added ten US companies to its export control list, effectively cutting them off from Chinese-made drones, robotic hardware, and swarm software. The announcement, made on June 22, marks Beijing’s most targeted response yet to Washington’s ongoing campaign to squeeze Chinese tech companies out of the US market. The move is a direct response to the FCC, which banned imports from Chinese drone giants DJI and Autel Robotics back in December 2025. Who’s on the list and what’s actually banned The ten targeted firms include some recognizable names in the US defense and drone ecosystem. Red Cat Holdings and its subsidiary Teal Drones made the cut, alongside defense heavyweight L3Harris and USA Rare Earth. The banned items fall under the category of “dual-use,” which is government-speak for technology that works in both civilian and military applications. Drones, robotic hardware, and swarm software are all now off-limits for these companies when sourcing from China. China’s restrictions don’t just apply to Chinese companies selling directly to the listed US firms. They extend to any organization worldwide that supplies Chinese dual-use items to these entiti...