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US imposes curbs on firms over support of Pakistan, Iran weapons programmes

Six entities in China added to the list for allegedly acquiring US-origin items to support Beijing's military modernisation

Published: Tue 22 Oct 2024, 4:46 PM

Updated: Tue 22 Oct 2024, 4:47 PM

  • By
  • AFP

The United States added more than two dozen entities to a trade blacklist on Monday over alleged support of weapons and drone development programmes in Pakistan and Iran, and for other issues including aiding Russia's war effort in Ukraine.

The 26 targets, mostly in Pakistan and China, were said to have violated export controls, been involved in "weapons programmes of concern", or evaded US sanctions and export controls on Russia and Iran, said the Commerce Department.

Their addition to the so-called "entity list" restricts them from getting US items and technologies without government authorisation.

"We are vigilant in defending US national security from bad actors," said Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez in a statement.

"Our actions today send a message to malicious actors that if they violate our controls, they will pay a price," he added.

Nine entities in Pakistan were accused of being front companies and procurement agents for the already blacklisted Advanced Engineering Research Organisation.

Since 2010, the group was said to have procured US-origin items by disguising their end users, who include a Pakistani entity responsible for the country's cruise missile and strategic drone programme.

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"This activity is contrary to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States," the Commerce Department said.

Six entities in China were added to the list for allegedly acquiring US-origin items to support China's military modernisation or to aid Iran's weapons and drone programmes, among other reasons.

And one entity in Egypt was said to have acquired or attempted to obtain US components to avoid sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, said the department.

On Monday, the US Commerce Department also removed Canada-based Sandvine from the entity list, after the company took steps to "to address the misuse of its technology that can undermine human rights".

The company had been added to the list in February 2024 "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," the Commerce Department said.



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