Title: Biden Administration Imposes Trade Restrictions on Chinese and Russian Companies, Drawing Criticism from Beijing
Date: September 12, 2023
On Monday, the Biden administration announced fresh trade curbs on eleven Chinese and five Russian companies, accusing them of compromising national security. These restrictions, imposed through the Entity List, have drawn criticism from Beijing, which firmly opposes the US blacklisting of Chinese companies.
The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security added 28 entities to the Entity List on Monday. Among the additions, Hong Kong-based exporter Asia Pacific Links and three Finnish freight, warehousing, and logistics companies were accused of being involved in a scheme to violate US export curbs by supplying drone components to the previously blacklisted Special Technology Center in St. Petersburg, Russia. A German industrial equipment producer and three Russian entities were also included in the list.
In addition, the Commerce Department accused eight Chinese companies of attempting to procure US drone equipment for Iran. Two Omani entities were cited for supporting Houthi fighters in Yemen. The Entity List is a tool used by Washington to impose trade restrictions on entities it perceives as threats to US national security. Recently, it has been particularly utilized to curb Chinese technology and penalize involvement in Russia’s war machinery.
Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, Alan Estevez, stated, “Our actions send a clear message to those trying to evade our export controls that there will be consequences for behavior that seeks to undermine US national security interests.” He emphasized that the US will not hesitate to take meaningful action against those supporting the conflict in Ukraine, describing it as Putin’s “illegal and immoral war.”
The Chinese Commerce Ministry responded on Tuesday, denouncing the US for abusing unilateral sanctions and “long-arm jurisdiction” to hinder normal international trade exchanges and harm the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals. The ministry demanded that the US immediately stop its “unreasonable suppression” and warned that China would take necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.
As of now, none of the Chinese entities have provided immediate comments or responses to CNBC’s requests. Some of the companies listed did not have public contact details available. The move by the Biden administration further escalates tensions between the US and China, adding strain to an already delicate trade relationship.
CNBC’s Quek Jie Ann contributed to this story.
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