We will be performing site maintenance on Tuesday, September 29 starting at 3:00am EDT / 8:00am BST and anticipate it will take approximately 1 hour. The site will be unavailable during this period. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Debrief: China’s Critical Mineral Export Curbs Hit Home For Defense Sector

Matthew Fulco July 31, 2025

China’s critical mineral export restrictions have disrupted the supply chain of Leonardo DRS, the company’s management said in a second quarter earnings call Image credit: Phil Degginger/Alamy Stock Photo — China’s critical mineral export restrictions have disrupted the supply chain of Leonardo DRS, the company’s management said in a second-quarter earnings call.

Credit: Phil Degginger/Alamy Stock Photo

The defense sector has long worried that China’s escalating restrictions on the export of critical minerals could compromise supply chains vital for U.S. national security. Beijing’s two-year export control campaign has been laser-focused on the most important raw materials for the Pentagon. Yet...

Matthew Fulco

Matthew Fulco was Business Editor for Aviation Week, focusing on commercial aerospace and defense.

Debrief: China’s Critical Mineral Export Curbs Hit Home For Defense Sector is available to both Aviation Week & Space Technology and AWIN subscribers.

Subscribe now to read this content, plus receive critical analysis into emerging trends, technological advancements, operational best practices and continuous updates to policy, requirements and budgets.

Already a subscriber to AW&ST or AWIN? Log in with your existing email and password.

Subscribe Log in