US adds multiple Chinese, Pakistani firms to trade blacklist

Several Chinese and Pakistani companies have been added to a US trade blacklist for their alleged involvement in missile and nuclear activities.

US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) added 38 entities to its blacklist for their alleged involvement with the Russian or Chinese military, for contributing to Pakistan’s or Iran’s nuclear programmes, or for engaging in human rights abuses in Myanmar and China.

The move comes amidst increasing tensions with China over numerous issues, including conflicts over trade practices, its proximity to the Russian leadership, the Taiwan issue and the dispute over the South China Sea.

The updated Entity List, which defines an entity as a business, a research institution, a government or private organisation, an individual, or other types of legal persons, contains companies listed under China, four from Pakistan, three from Myanmar, and one each from Belarus, Russia, Taiwan.

The federal bureau said that 14 entities based in China and Pakistan have been added to the Entity List for “contributing to ballistic missile programmes of concern, including Pakistan’s missile programme, and for involvement in unsafeguarded nuclear activities.”

The US said that three entities in Russia, Belarus and Taiwan have been added for making significant contributions to Russia’s military and/or defense industrial base, while eight based in China have been added for “acquiring and attempting to acquire US-origin items in support of the PRC’s military modernisation efforts, and for supplying or attempting to supply a sanctioned entity in Iran.” Six based in China and Myanmar have been added for violations of human rights.

Explaining the idea behind the list, BIS Assistant Secretary Thea D Rozman Kendler said in a press release that the Entity List enables the US government to scrutinise the transactions of the companies. “When we identify entities that pose a national security or foreign policy concern for the US, we add them to the Entity List to ensure we can scrutinise their transactions,” Kendler said.

“In addition to screening against the Entity List, exporters and those transacting in items subject to our regulations need to exercise careful due diligence to determine whether such items may be diverted to prohibited end-uses or end-users,” she added.

In a statement issued by the BIS on March 2, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves said: “When we act to oppose military aggression in the case of Russia and PRC military modernisation, and protect and advance human rights, we are putting our values into action and enhancing our shared security in the process.”

The companies listed  are as follows:

Belarus: DMT Trading LLC.

Myanmar: FISCA Security & Communication Co., Ltd., Ministry of Transport and Communications, and Naung Yoe Technologies Co., Ltd.

China: 4Paradigm Technology Co., Ltd., AIF Global Logistics Co., Ltd., Aispeed Industry Ltd., Arttronix International (HK) Ltd., Baoding Giant Import and Export Co., Ltd., Baoding Shimaotong Enterprises Services Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhengyuan Chuangshi Consulting Co., Ltd., BGI Research, BGI Tech Solutions (Hongkong) Co., Ltd., Forensic Genomics International, Galaxy Electronics, Gaobeidian Kaituo Precise Instrument Co., Ltd., Hongtai Electric Ltd., Inspur Group Co., Ltd., Jotrin Electronics Ltd., Korchina Logistics (HK) Ltd., Liang Ping Huang, Loongson Technology, Luo Dingwen, Nanjing colpak Mechanical Equipment Co., Ltd., Nanjing Jiuding Refrigeration & Air-conditioning Equipment Co., Ltd., National Research Center for Parallel Computer Engineering and Technology, Qingdao National Laboratory of Marine Science and Technology, Rayscience Optoelectronics Innovation Co., Ltd., Sunton Tech Hong Kong Ltd., Suzhou Centec Communications Co., Ltd., Suzhou Centec Technology Co., Ltd., and Wuxi Institute of Advanced Technology.