The United States has blacklisted six Chinese entities it said were linked to Beijing’s aerospace programs as part of its retaliation over an alleged Chinese spy balloon that traversed U.S. airspace.

The companies blacklisted by the United States are Beijing Nanjing Aerospace Technology, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation Research Institute, Dongguan Ling Kong Remote Sensing Technology, Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group, Guang Sho Hai Xiang Aviation Technology, and Shanxi Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group.

The economic restrictions announced Friday followed the Biden administration’s pledge to consider broader efforts to address Chinese surveillance activities and will make it more difficult for the five companies and one research institute to obtain American technology exports.

The move is likely to further escalate the diplomatic row between the U.S. and China sparked by the balloon, which was shot down last weekend off the Carolina coast. The U.S. said the balloon was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals, but Beijing insists it was a weather craft that had blown off course.

The incident prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to abruptly cancel a high-stakes trip to Beijing aimed at easing tensions.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington has not yet responded to the American action of blacklisting. A Chinese balloon was found in the American sky last week. The United States claimed it was a Spy balloon, while China claimed it was a weather instrument that had gone astray.