Chinese manufacturers are cutting sales of key drone components to the US and Europe. This will also affect the Ukrainian production of drones, because many companies rely on Chinese parts.
Bloomberg writes about this with reference to sources.
Now, Chinese manufacturers of drone engines, batteries and flight controllers have limited volumes or stopped deliveries altogether. This has already affected both American and European companies.
This is expected to be a "prelude" to even tougher restrictions on the export of drone parts that China will introduce in 2025. Beijing is likely to start issuing licenses based on what the parts will be used for, or require Chinese manufacturers to report plans for future supplies.
The trade conflict began when the US imposed sanctions on Chinaʼs sale of high-bandwidth microcircuits and additional semiconductor equipment. In response, Beijing banned the sale of dual-use goods to the US military and several materials with high-tech and military applications to the US companies.
In particular, at the beginning of December, the American startup Shield AI Inc. was added to Chinaʼs sanctions list. is a Pentagon contractor that makes drones controlled by artificial intelligence. Bloomberg notes that this company is actively working in Ukraine.
Western countries are trying to establish the production of drones with less dependence on Chinese parts. But the country remains a center for the production of cheap drone components. A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies says China controls nearly 80% of the commercial drone market.
- Russia has begun manufacturing new Harpy-A1 long-range attack drones — they contain Chinese-made engines and parts. For this, the US has already imposed the first sanctions on Chinese companies.
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