BIS Adds 43 Entities in 10 Countries to Blacklist

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)  announced June 12 the addition of 43 new entities to the Entity List. The 43 entities, located across ten different countries, have been identified by the U.S. Government as acting against the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.

The majority of the entities, 31 in total, are based in China. The remaining entities are from Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. In contrast, one entity located in Latvia has been removed from the list.

BIS also stated that multiple entities have been added to the list for recruiting Western pilots to train PLA pilots on Western aircraft maneuvers and tactics, for hypersonic weapons development, hypersonic flight modeling, and weapon lifecycle management using Western software.

"It is imperative that we prevent China from acquiring U.S. technologies and know-how to enable their military modernization programs," said Matthew S. Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement.

 The comprehensive list of the additions to and the removal from the Entity List can be found in the Federal Register Notice: [FR: 2023-12726]

The Commerce Department's action targets the listed entities' ability to access commodities, software, and technology subject to the EAR (Export Administration Regulations). The rule imposes a license requirement for all items subject to the EAR, and the review of the license applications will generally lean towards a presumption of denial.

Among the Chinese entities added to the list are accused of acquiring U.S.-origin items in support of China’s military modernization, with ties to hypersonic weapons development, missile design and manufacture, and other activities of concern.

Further entities have been added due to their procurement and distribution of items enabling the Chinese government to carry out human rights abuses against individuals in China, including as part of its campaign of repression against Uyghur Muslims and members of other minority groups in Xinjiang.

Notable adds include Ninestar, the maker of Lexmark Printers, and China Aviation Development Harbin Bearing Co, a division of one of the world's leading suppliers of bearings to the Automative, Aerospace, Rail and precision tooling industries worldwide

Several entities were added due to their contributions to Pakistan's ballistic missile program. Other entities based in Pakistan were added based on information suggesting significant contributions to certain advanced conventional weapons and strategic weapons capabilities in Pakistan.