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Jet Engines Aren’t “Made In China” because companies are not allowed to outsource jet engines manufacturing to China. Gas turbine engines and associated equipment are seen as military technology, which is subject export controls by International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) of U.S. Department of State.

https://precisionam.com/articles/precision-machining/itar-re...

https://aircraft.zone/navigating-the-rules-a-guide-to-u-s-ex...

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This plus subsidizing R&D via military contracts is how jet engines for passenger aircraft remain a US and European pursuit.

Will jet engines never be made in China? Don't bet against them. There's no guarantee that the legacy of the Cold War technology race will continue to subsidize western jet engine development.

There are reasons to think this subsidized moat will hold for a while: geared turbofan engines will deliver another increment in efficiency that passenger airlines can't ignore. Until that technology step is commoditized, the incumbent jet engine makers are relatively safe.


I would not bet against China. All the R&D done in US and Europe could be done also in China, but R&D takes time.

Lot technological development in China in the last two decades was result of US and European companies outsourcing manufacturing to China and most importantly, sharing know-how with Chinese companies.

I recommend the book "How China Captured Apple" by Patrick McGee

https://www.thewirechina.com/2025/05/25/patrick-mcgee-on-how...

This outsourcing development path for jet engines in China is not possible because ITAR.


The good news for China is we fired or reassigned most of the counterespionage agents to chase gardeners, so lots of technology transfer is happening.



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