Additive manufacturing has been formally brought under U.S. defense procurement restrictions through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. Section 849 of the Act prohibits the Department of Defense from entering into contracts for certain additive manufacturing machines produced by entities linked to China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea. President Trump signed the NDAA into law this week, with the prohibition taking effect one year after enactment.
Section 849 applies to the procurement of a “covered additive manufacturing machine,” defined as a system of integrated hardware and software used to carry out an additive manufacturing process, including material deposition and associated post-processing steps. Machines fall under the restriction if they are manufactured by a “covered additive manufacturing company,” a category that includes entities appearing on U.S. government screening lists related to national security or civil-military fusion, as well as entities domiciled in a covered nation.
Coverage also extends to entities subject to unmitigated foreign ownership, control, or influence by a covered nation. Covered nations are defined in U.S. code as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Determinations regarding ownership, control, or influence are made by the Secretary of Defense in accordance with the National Industrial Security Program or successor frameworks. Related services or equipment provided by the same covered company are included within the definition of a covered additive manufacturing machine.
The restriction does not apply immediately. Section 849 specifies that the prohibition begins one year after enactment, creating a defined compliance window for defense acquisition programs. During this period, procurement offices and contractors are expected to assess whether additive manufacturing equipment proposed for defense use meets statutory requirements related to company domicile and ownership structure.
Once the prohibition takes effect, the Secretary of Defense may not enter into contracts for the procurement of covered additive manufacturing machines. Section 849 does not include a general waiver authority or phased implementation mechanism. Compliance is therefore determined at the point of procurement eligibility rather than through discretionary exemptions.
A limited exception is included. Section 849 does not apply to additive manufacturing systems or machines procured for intelligence, electronic warfare, or information warfare purposes. Testing, analysis, and training related to those activities are also exempt. Outside these defined uses, the restriction applies across Department of Defense procurement actions involving covered additive manufacturing machines.
For defense contractors and suppliers, Section 849 introduces additional procurement compliance requirements. Eligibility now depends not only on technical capability and cost but also on the corporate status of the machine provider. Contractors proposing additive manufacturing-based solutions must ensure that equipment is not supplied by entities domiciled in covered nations or subject to unmitigated foreign ownership, control, or influence as defined under U.S. security frameworks.
Program offices and system integrators may also need to reassess existing production arrangements that rely on additive manufacturing equipment sourced from foreign vendors. The statute’s focus on the machine provider, rather than on the parts produced, shifts compliance attention upstream to equipment sourcing decisions.
Section 849 appears alongside other NDAA provisions aimed at reducing reliance on foreign-controlled technologies across defense supply chains. Together, these measures signal a broader shift toward treating advanced manufacturing systems as strategically sensitive assets rather than neutral production tools.
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Featured photo shows The Pentagon. Photo via the United States Department of Defense.
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