Archer alleges Joby misclassified Chinese parts, concealed manufacturing ties
Archer Aviation’s federal countersuit claims Joby Aviation relied on a Chinese manufacturing subsidiary and misclassified thousands of pounds of Chinese-origin aircraft materials as consumer goods to evade U.S. tariffs and foreign-influence oversight. Archer says Joby portrayed itself as American-made while sourcing Chinese-backed parts under false consumer-item labels.
1. Archer Files Countersuit Against Joby
Archer Aviation filed a federal countersuit alleging that Joby Aviation defrauded the U.S. government and competitors by sourcing critical aircraft components from a Chinese manufacturing subsidiary supported by the Chinese government. The complaint claims Joby misclassified thousands of pounds of Chinese-origin materials as items like hair clips, socks and photo albums to evade U.S. tariffs and oversight.
2. Joby Denies Allegations
Joby Aviation responded that the allegations are baseless and has vowed to contest them in court, describing the claims as nonsense. Its attorney highlighted Archer’s legal challenges and stated Joby will defend its reputation vigorously.
3. Ongoing Trade Secret Dispute
This countersuit follows the November trade secret lawsuit in which Joby accused a former employee of taking proprietary information to Archer. Both companies went public via SPAC mergers in 2021 and now compete in developing electric air taxis and defense applications.
4. Pilot Program Participation
The Department of Transportation and FAA approved eight proposals for the executive pilot program, with Archer securing three spots and Joby five. Both firms applied under the recent executive order aimed at accelerating electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft commercialization.