Hesai Appeals U.S. Court Ruling Upholding Pentagon Military-Ties Label

Chinese lidar manufacturer Hesai Group has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to overturn a lower-court decision that backed the Pentagon’s designation of the company as aiding Beijing’s military. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman ruled on 11 July that the Department of Defense had “substantial evidence” to place Hesai on a list of firms allegedly contributing to China’s defense industrial base, citing the potential military applications of lidar technology and the company’s cooperation with Chinese agencies. Hesai’s appeal, filed on 14 July, seeks to remove the listing, which can restrict U.S. investment and contracting with the firm. The company has argued that its products are used mainly in commercial autonomous-driving and industrial applications and that the designation is unsupported by the record.