March 26 (UPI) — The Trump administration added dozens of organizations to its official blacklist Tuesday including many from China and Iran.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security announced that 80 entities from China and Iran, as well as the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Taiwan among others, have been added to the government’s Entity List “for activities contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy.”
The Entity list contains the “businesses, research institutions, government and private organizations, individuals, and other types of legal persons” and other “parties” that the U.S. government considers a security threat.
In a press release, BIS stated the entities had been restricted in a move intended to slow down China’s ability to acquire technology to bolster its military, and Iran’s ability to get a hold of drones and drone tech, and to weaken its capacity to develop its nuclear capability.
The list is further intended to keep American technology from countries deemed enemies of the United States.
“The Entity List is one of many powerful tools at our disposal to identify and cut off foreign adversaries seeking to exploit American technology for malign purposes,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Jeffrey Kessler.
Entities who were added are all connected to a wide variety of technologies, ranging from AI and quantum applications to drones and items related to hypersonic weaponry. Some also had purportedly sold, or acquired to sell, American tech.
“We will not allow adversaries to exploit American technology to bolster their own militaries and threaten American lives,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.
