US seeks to limit key materials from China, others in defence supply chains

WASHINGTON: The United States is pushing to make it tougher for defence contractors to get waivers for critical minerals and other materials from China and certain foreign suppliers, with an order President Donald Trump signed Monday (Jul 20).Starting January 2027, firms seeking waivers to acquire sensitive materials from "non-allied foreign nations" will have to show exhaustive efforts to find compliant materials or prove that none was available, the order said.These nations generally refer to China, North Korea, Russia and Iran.China is the world's biggest producer and refiner of rare earths, which are critical for high-tech products ranging from electric vehicles to missile guidance systems. Contractors will also have to detail steps to remove such "non-compliant" sensitive material fro