US announces new sanctions against China

The US government has imposed new trade restrictions on 42 Chinese companies that Washington accuses of supplying key materials, such as integrated circuits used in missile guidance systems, to Russia's defense industry amid the Ukraine crisis, RT reported on October 7.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the latest expansion of its export control list on Oct. 6 local time, adding dozens of Chinese entities and one entity each from Estonia, Finland, Germany, India, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). U.S. exporters are required to obtain special licenses, which are difficult to obtain, to ship goods to customers on the export control list.

“We will not hesitate to take action against parties, wherever located, that facilitate the sale of U.S.-origin items to the Russian military in support of its war against Ukraine,” said U.S. Commerce Department official Alan Estevez.

“No matter how complicated the route or how many hands the items pass through, if they are of American origin and are on their way to the Russian military, we will work tirelessly to prevent it,” the official added.

The export control list is part of Washington’s efforts to block the transfer of US-origin technology to Russian military and defense contractors. Microelectronic circuits that help guide missiles and drones to their targets are among the top concerns.

The US Commerce Department said that the companies added to the export control list on October 6 accounted for a “significant portion” of all US-origin integrated circuits sold in Russia this year.

“Today’s additions to the entity list send a clear message: If you provide U.S.-origin technology to the Russian defense industry, we will find out and we will take action,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Matthew Axelrod.

The department added that it would continue to work with allies abroad to identify companies that are re-exporting US goods to the Russian defense industry.

A US intelligence report released in July asserted that China is providing significant support to Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, including navigation equipment and other technology with both defense and civilian applications. Chinese officials have countered that Beijing does not sell arms to Russia or Ukraine and that it “carefully handles the export of dual-use items in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.” The Chinese Embassy in Washington also noted that China’s trade relationship with Russia is “upright” and “will not be disrupted or coerced by any third party.”