BIS to Add Russian, Chinese Entities to Entity List, Including YMTC

The Bureau of Industry and Security will add a host of Chinese and Russian entities to the Entity List, including top Chinese chipmaker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., the agency said in a pair of notices released Dec. 15.

BIS will add 36 entities for trying to acquire U.S. technology to support China’s military modernization or for sending controlled U.S. items to other companies on the Entity List, the agency said. Other entities were added for illegally exporting U.S. items to Iran or for their involvement in Chinese human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The entities -- mostly involved in China’s semiconductor manufacturing, research and sales industries -- will require a license for all items subject to the Export Administration Regulations. BIS will review license applications under a review policy of presumption of denial. The additions take effect Dec. 16.

In a separate notice, BIS said it will also remove nine Russian entities from the Unverified List and move them to the Entity List after the agency said it was unable to "verify their bona fides" for receiving controlled U.S. items. BIS also removed 27 entities from the UVL -- 26 in China and one in Pakistan -- after it said it was able to successfully conduct end-use checks on those entities. The new Russian entities on the Entity List will require a license for all items subject to the EAR with a license review policy of denial. The changes also take effect Dec. 16.