Daily Times

The United States has added seven Pakistani companies to a list of foreign entities that are subject to stringent export control measures.

The 23 additions to the list, including 15 entities from the troubled area of South Sudan, were published by the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security last week in the Federal Register.

The list identifies entities ‘reasonably believed to be involved or to pose a significant risk of being or becoming involved, in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States’.

Three of the companies were listed for ‘their involvement in the proliferation of unsafeguarded nuclear activities that are contrary to the national security and/or foreign policy interests of the United States’; two were found procuring supplies for nuclear-related entities already on the list and last two were suspected to be fronts for listed entities. An eighth Pakistani entity is based in Singapore.

Inclusion in the Entity List, as it’s technically called, is considered the ‘highest level of red-flag’ that there is in the US export control regime aimed at preventing misuse or repurposing of American dual-use technology (equipment or technology that can be used for both civilian and non-civilian purposes) for undeclared use, mostly military.

It could not be immediately ascertained if these additions were a part of the general toughening of the US position on Pakistan under President Donald Trump, who has accused the one-time ally of ‘deceit and lies’ and suspended nearly $2 billion in military assistance to the country. Entities on this list – businesses, research institutions, government and private organisations, individuals – are required to seek a license from the US government to purchase items subjected to Export Administration Regulations (EAR), which, it is generally presumed, will be denied to them.

Published in Daily Times, March 26^th 2018.