The slowdown in American approvals for the export of aerospace components threatens to further complicate the ramp-up of the C919. With eleven aircraft delivered in the first nine months of 2026, the Chinese single-aisle aircraft remains far from its industrial ambitions. However, commercial tensions are not sufficient to explain the difficulties faced by Comac, the Chinese manufacturer. The C919 was meant to embody China's ability to establish itself in the market for commercial aircraft dominated by Airbus and Boeing. More than three years after its commercial service launch in May 2023, the program faces a test less spectacular than the first flights, but decisive: transforming an operational aircraft into a product that is manufactured and delivered regularly. New American constraints on the export of parts risk making this exercise even more difficult. According to a Reuters investigation published on October 1, the U.S. Department of Commerce has slowed the issuance of export licenses for components destined for China's civil aviation industry in recent weeks. Washington is reportedly trying to prevent Comac from building stockpiles, while using Beijing's aerospace dependency as a lever in trade negotiations. C919 Deliveries: eleven aircraft in nine months The industrial performance illustrates the challenge. Comac delivered fifteen C919 aircraft in 2025, against an initial target of 75. The first quarter of 2026 brought only three additional aircraft: two for China Southern Airlines and one for Air China, according to company records and data from the IBA cited by the South China Morning Post. More recent data from ch-aviation allows for an update to this picture: eleven C919 aircraft were delivered to airlines in the first nine months of 2026, including five to China Southern, three to China Eastern, and three to Air China. Production is therefore not at a standstill, but its pace remains modest for a program intended to compete with the A320 and 737 families on the Chinese market. These figures also invite a distinction between different periods. The finding of three deliveries in the first quarter does not describe the situation as of October on its own. However, the cumulative total by the end of September confirms that Comac still struggles to establish a sustained and predictable production rate. American exports: an additional risk for Comac The measures reported concern both the volumes authorized and the administrative delays. According to Reuters, U.S. authorities are also considering regulations that would facilitate restrictions on certain equipment, notably landing gear; a preliminary version would include a licensing requirement for hydraulic fluids produced in the United States. These provisions must be distinguished from the limitations already applied to approvals. The uncertainty mainly concerns their scope. Ch-aviation notes that it is not established that the current limitations include the LEAP-1C engines of the C919 or the CF34-10A engines of the regional twin-engine C909. The 2025 precedent nonetheless fuels concerns. The United States had suspended licenses relating to these engines and other equipment destined for Comac at the end of May, before lifting the suspension at the beginning of July. Reuters had reported at the time that GE Aerospace was authorized to resume shipments. The manufacturer's supply chain has thus already experienced the direct effects of Sino-American tensions. LEAP-1C: an essential Franco-American engine The C919 is powered by the LEAP-1C from CFM International, a joint company owned equally by GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines. Safran presents it as a « new-generation engine for the C919 ». The French group also supplies several other components of the program, including cabin oxygen systems. Behind the Chinese national ambition lies therefore an industrial chain largely international.