The United States government has applied economic sanctions against certain institutions and key members of the government of the People's Republic of China and its ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), certain companies linked to the People's Liberation Army (PLA), and other affiliates that the U.S. government has accused of aiding in human rights abuses. The U.S. maintained embargoes against China from the inception of the People's Republic of China in 1949 until 1972. An embargo was reimposed by the U.S. following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. From 2020 onward, the U.S. imposed sanctions and visa restrictions against several Chinese government officials and companies, in response to the persecution of Uyghurs in China, human rights abuses in Hong Kong and Tibet, military-civil fusion, support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, transnational repression, and fentanyl production. Economic sanctions and export controls against China are administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), respectively.
History Due to concerns about national security and human rights, the United States has gradually increased sanctions against Chinese businesses and organizations. As of July 2023, 721 Chinese businesses, organizations, and individuals have been added to the United States Department of Commerce's Entity List that restricts their ability to purchase goods from the United States.
Sanctions in the early PRC (1949–1979) The Chinese Civil War devastated the country's economy. After the establishment of People's Republic of China in 1949, the United States embargo against the sale of military technology or infrastructure, previously levied against the Soviet Union, was expanded to include the newly established People's Republic of China. During the Korean War, further trade restrictions were imposed. The embargo compounded the economic damage in China from its Civil War and limited China's access to credit, technology, and materials from the Western Bloc. As a result, in the 1950s the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries were China's only source of foreign economic, material, and technical support. The PRC pursued a policy of rapid industrialization relying primarily on domestic resources. According to academic Chun Lin, the embargo resulted in increased Chinese nationalism. The trade embargo was lifted under President Richard Nixon in 1972 right before the reform and opening up period and establishment of official relations.
Sanctions after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
Following the Tiananmen Square massacre, the Bush Sr. administration re-imposed an arms embargo against the PRC after the massacre of the protesters.
Sanctions related to military support for Iran Through the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, the United States has sanctioned and prosecuted Chinese companies and individuals for providing material assistance to Iran's missile program. In 2014, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Sinotech Dalian Carbon and Graphite Manufacturing Corporation for helping Iran buy parts to produce ballistic missiles. In June 2023, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Zhejiang Qingji and other entities in mainland China and Hong Kong for selling centrifuge equipment to Iran. In September 2023, six Chinese entities were sanctioned for allegedly assisting the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Corporation in making drones to attack oil tankers and for export to Russia's military. In April 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Chinese entities accused of being part of an Iranian procurement network. In October 2025, additional Chinese entities and individuals were sanctioned for their involvement in Iranian procurement networks for advanced missile technology.
Sanctions under the first Trump administration
Ban of Huawei and ZTE equipment
In August 2018, President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA 2019) which banned Huawei and ZTE equipment from being used by the U.S. federal government, citing security concerns. In addition, on 15 May 2019, the Department of Commerce added Huawei and 70 foreign subsidiaries and "affiliates" to its Entity List under the Export Administration Regulations, citing the company having been indicted for "knowingly and willfully causing the export, re-export, sale and supply, directly and indirectly, of goods, technology and services (banking and other financial services) from the United States to Iran and the government of Iran without obtaining a license from the Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)". This restricts U.S. companies from doing business with Huawei without a government license. Various U.S.-based companies immediately froze their business with Huawei to comply with the regulation. That same year, it was determined that Huawei also provided equipment to build North Korea’s 3G network.
Currency manipulator designation In August 2019, the United States Department of the Treasury designated China a currency manipulator, which resulted in China being excluded from U.S. government procurement contracts. The designation was withdrawn in January 2020 after China agreed to refrain from devaluing its currency to make its own goods cheaper for foreign buyers.
Uyghurs In 2019, the Xinjiang public security bureau and its subordinate municipal PSBs were to the Entity List for their role in human rights abuses against the Uyghurs. In 2020, the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on the Xinjiang public security bureau under the Global Magnitsky Act.
Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act
Hong Kong Autonomy Act
The United States imposed six rounds of sanctions between 2020 and 2025 under Hong Kong Autonomy Act and Executive Order 13936 after the passage of the national security law for undermining Hong Kong's autonomy and restricting freedom of Hong Kong people. Then Chief Executive Carrie Lam and her successor John Lee, then as Secretary for Justice, were sanctioned along with several Hong Kong and Chinese government officials and legislators.
Prohibition of investment in companies linked to China’s military
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