The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has added 26 entities to its Entity List for activities deemed contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. These entities are based in China, Egypt, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and they have been linked to violations of export controls, involvement in weapons programs, or eAorts to evade U.S. sanctions—particularly those imposed on Russia and Iran.
Among the entities added, 16 are from Pakistan, with 9 acting as front companies and procurement agents for the Advanced Engineering Research Organization (AERO), a group involved in Pakistan’s ballistic missile program. The remaining 7 Pakistani entities are directly tied to Pakistan’s missile program. In the UAE and Egypt, 4 entities were added for attempting to acquire U.S.-origin parts in violation of sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The 6 entities from China were added due to their involvement in acquiring U.S.-origin items to support China’s military modernization and to evade end-use checks. These entities were also linked to facilitating the procurement of items for Iran’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs.
In addition to the new additions, two entities were removed from the Entity List. Hefei Bitland (based in China) was removed after it was dissolved, and Sandvine Incorporated (which had operations in several countries) was removed after implementing significant reforms to prevent the misuse of its technology for human rights abuses or activities that undermine democracy.
BIS oAicials emphasized that these actions are part of the U.S. government’s broader eAorts to combat illicit trade and technology transfers that could harm national security. Alan F. Estevez, Under Secretary for Industry and Security, underscored the U.S.’s vigilance in targeting entities that attempt to evade sanctions, while Thea D. Rozman Kendler, Assistant Secretary for Export Administration, warned that the U.S. would continue to take action against those contributing to WMD, UAV, and missile programs.
These listings were made under the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), which govern U.S. export controls and sanctions. Entities on the Entity List are subject to stringent licensing requirements, which restrict the export of U.S. origin goods and technologies to them without government approval. Decisions to add or remove entities from the list are made by the End-User Review Committee (ERC), an interagency group that includes representatives from the Departments of Commerce, Defense, State, Energy, and Treasury.
Source: Commerce Adds 26 Entities to the Entity List for Actions Contrary to U.S. National Security Interests
