Donald Trump blacklisting jolts China's ambitions to take on Boeing

A US move to increase pressure on Chinese companies could threaten the nation’s ambitions to compete with Boeing and Airbus.

 

The Trump administration’s addition of Comac to a Defense Department list of companies with alleged Chinese military ties comes just days after a breakthrough in the state-backed jet manufacturer’s effort to win customers when an Indonesian airline agreed to buy its planes.

 

If President-elect Biden doesn’t reverse the move, American investors will be prohibited from buying securities of companies on the list, and will have to divest their holdings by November. That won’t impact Comac because it’s not publicly traded, but other companies Trump initially put on such lists have since found themselves targets for more severe sanctions, including curbs on access to American technology.