Washington – The United States has taken a strong stance against entities that have been supporting weapons and drone development programs in Iran and Pakistan, as well as aiding Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine. On Monday, the Commerce Department added 26 entities to its trade blacklist, restricting them from obtaining U.S. items and technologies without government authorization.
According to the Commerce Department, these entities have violated export controls, been involved in “weapons programs of concern,” or evaded U.S. sanctions and export controls on Russia and Iran. This move is a clear message to malicious actors that there will be consequences for their actions.
Alan Estevez, the undersecretary of commerce for industry and security, stated, “We are vigilant in defending U.S. national security from bad actors. Our actions today send a message to malicious actors that if they violate our controls, they will pay a price.”
The majority of the 26 entities added to the list are located in Pakistan, China, and the United Arab Emirates. Nine entities in Pakistan were accused of being front companies and procurement agents for the already blacklisted Advanced Engineering Research Organization. This group has been procuring U.S.-origin items by disguising their end users, which includes a Pakistani entity responsible for the country’s cruise missile and strategic drone program.
The Commerce Department stated, “This activity is contrary to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States.” In addition to Pakistan, six entities in China were also added to the list for allegedly acquiring U.S.-origin items to support China’s military modernization or to aid Iran’s weapons and drone programs.
Furthermore, three entities in the UAE and one in Egypt were added to the list for acquiring or attempting to obtain U.S. components to avoid sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Commerce Department emphasized that these actions are not in line with U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
In a positive development, the Commerce Department removed Canada-based Sandvine from the entity list. This decision was made after the company took steps to address the misuse of its technology, which can undermine human rights. Sandvine had been placed on the trade restriction list in February 2024 for allegedly helping the Egyptian government target human rights activists and politicians.
The Commerce Department stated, “The company had been added after its products were used to conduct mass web monitoring and censorship and target human rights activists and dissidents, including by enabling the misuse of commercial spyware.” This removal from the list shows that the U.S. is committed to holding companies accountable for their actions and promoting human rights.
The addition of these entities to the trade blacklist is a significant step in protecting U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. It sends a clear message to those who seek to undermine these interests that their actions will not be tolerated. The U.S. remains vigilant in defending against bad actors and will continue to take necessary actions to protect its national security.
