BIS Issues More Russia Export Controls, Adds to Entity List

The Bureau of Industry and Security announced new export controls on Russia’s oil refinery sector and added 91 entities to the Entity List for supporting Russian security or military sectors. The new restrictions, which took effect March 3, build on an extensive set of U.S. sanctions announced within the last week in response to the invasion of Ukraine, meant to cut Russia off from importing goods that help support and fund its military.

The new export controls will include additional and more stringent license requirements for exports of certain items subject to the Export Administration Regulations, BIS said, including for a range of oil refinery equipment, extraction equipment and other items that may be used in Russia’s energy sector. The requirements include a new “general prohibition” for exports to Russia of goods classified under certain Harmonized Tariff Schedule-6 codes and Schedule B numbers. BIS will impose a license review policy of denial for most applications, but some exports needed for health and safety reasons will be reviewed under a case-by-case policy.

BIS said the new Entity List additions -- which are located in Russia, Belize, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Malta, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain and the U.K. -- all either support or are involved in Russia’s military and defense sectors or defense research efforts. The agency will impose a license requirement for all items subject to the EAR, and each of the 91 entities will be subject to a license review policy of denial. For five of the entities, however, BIS said it will also impose a case-by-case review policy for applications involving U.S. government-supported space programs. No license exceptions will be available.