US Weighs Boeing Parts Controls After China Rare Earth Limits
10/12/2025, 7:07:01 PM | China | United States
Aerospace
U.S. officials are weighing export controls on Boeing parts after China expanded rare-earth restrictions, signaling tighter ties between mineral policy and aerospace trade.
U.S. officials are considering export controls on Boeing aircraft parts in response to China’s recent expansion of rare-earth export restrictions.
Discussions at the Department of Commerce have been reported by major outlets, but as of Oct. 11 no formal action under EAR or ITAR has been filed. Beijing broadened its rare-earth controls on Oct. 9, though Chinese authorities had signaled the move in public drafts months earlier.
China remains a major market for Boeing, with roughly 1,855 Boeing jets in service and 222 on order, creating mutual dependencies that make trade measures consequential. Rare earths are integral to modern aircraft systems—permanent magnets, specialty alloys, and precision electronics in turbines and navigation gear link mineral policy to aerospace supply chains.
Any U.S. restrictions would be a calibrated response intended to test leverage rather than an immediate shutoff; however, they would also underscore a steady decoupling of critical industrial ecosystems. Cross-border suppliers such as CFM International could face disruptions, and manufacturers on both sides would need to reassess sourcing and certification timelines.
Investors and supply-chain managers should expect closer alignment between critical-mineral diplomacy and aerospace trade policy in the months ahead.