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China has placed 10 US companies on its export control list and barred government purchases from dozens more, in retaliation for a recent Pentagon blacklist.

Getting into it: Beijing’s Commerce Ministry barred Chinese firms from exporting “dual-use” goods, items with both civilian and military uses, to the 10 targeted companies, which include rare-earth producers MP Materials and USA Rare Earth alongside drone makers, defense contractors and aerospace firms. The order reaches well beyond China, prohibiting anyone anywhere from routing China-origin dual-use items to the listed companies.

Separately, the Finance Ministry barred government procurement from 46 US firms, including subsidiaries of Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Dynamics.

Chinese state media framed the move as aimed at the US arms pipeline to Taiwan, with one Chinese media pundit saying many of the listed firms sell drones and weapons to the island and transfer military technology.

The moves came two weeks after the Pentagon added roughly 80 Chinese companies to its list of firms it says aid Beijing’s military, sweeping in giants like Alibaba, Baidu and BYD. China said its order was meant to “safeguard national security and interests” and meet non-proliferation obligations.

Analysts cast it as largely symbolic but pointed retaliation, noting many targeted firms have little business in China.