U.S. Adds Russian, Chinese Companies To List Of Firms With Military Ties

The U.S. Commerce Department has added more than 100 Russian and Chinese companies to a new list of entities with alleged ties to the countries’ militaries, in a move that will restrict access to U.S. goods and technologies.

The list identifies 45 Russian and 58 Chinese companies as so-called military end users, requiring U.S. companies to obtain licenses to sell to the firms, which are more likely to be denied than granted.

“The Department recognizes the importance of leveraging its partnerships with U.S. and global companies to combat efforts by China and Russia to divert U.S. technology for their destabilizing military programs,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement on December 21.

Under an expanded definition of military end users developed earlier this year, the category went beyond armed services and national police to include any person or entity that supports or contributes to the maintenance or production of military items.

Entities on the list include seven subsidiaries of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Russian aviation company Sukhoi, and Admiralty Shipyard.

The move comes days after the Commerce Department added dozens of Chinese companies, including the country’s top chipmaker, to a trade blacklist, as tensions remain high between Washington and Beijing over a range of issues.

Tensions are also rising with Russia over its alleged role in a major cyberattack on the U.S. government and top companies.

With reporting by Reuters