The Bureau of Industry and Security added 31 Chinese entities to its Unverified List last week, including Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., a semiconductor firm that U.S. lawmakers for months have urged BIS to add to the more restrictive Entity List. The final rule, which took effect Oct. 7, also removed nine other entities from the UVL and included new guidance on what types of criteria and activities may lead to the transfer of UVL entries to the Entity List.

The Bureau of Industry and Security last week announced a broad set of new export controls it said will restrict China’s ability to acquire advanced computing chips and manufacture advanced semiconductors. The controls, outlined in an interim final rule that will take effect in phases, will impose new restrictions on a range of advanced computing semiconductor chips and semiconductor manufacturing items, impose controls on transactions for supercomputer end-uses and certain integrated circuit end-uses, and introduce new restrictions on transactions involving certain entities on the Entity List.

A June joint alert by the Treasury and Commerce departments could signal new government expectations for banking industry sanctions compliance, experts with FTI Consulting said. The alert, which put companies and entities “on notice” about the types of red flags they should be monitoring for potential Russia sanctions and export control evasion tactics (see 2206280056, and 2207130014), may also force some financial institutions to reinforce their compliance and due-diligence processes, they said.

The Bureau of Industry and Security revised how it assesses penalties in settlements involving anti-boycott violations, according to a final rule, which, effective Oct. 7, amends a supplement to the Export Administration Regulations to clarify and change the agency’s guidance on anti-boycott charging practices to allow it to better address more serious violations.

The Bureau of Industry and Security this week renewed temporary denial orders for three Russian airlines accused of violating U.S. export controls against Russia. BIS first suspended the export privileges of Aeroflot, Azur Air and UTair in April, barring the airlines from participating in transactions with items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (see 2204070010). Despite the restrictions, BIS said all three airlines have continued to operate flights into and out of Russia. The orders were renewed for another 180 days from Oct. 3.

The Bureau of Industry and Security recently revoked export privileges for five people after they illegally exported or tried to export controlled items from the U.S.

Michigan-based Thermotron Industries violated U.S. export controls when it shipped a controlled environmental test chamber to South Korea without a license, the Bureau of Industry and Security said in an enforcement order released this week. BIS said Thermotron, an environmental test equipment manufacturer, exported the test chamber in 2012 despite it being subject to missile technology controls and subject to a license requirement under Export Control Classification Number 9B106.

The U.S. last week announced a host of new sanctions and export controls against Russia, targeting Russian defense and technology companies, Russian government officials and various suppliers for supporting the country's military. The measures include hundreds of new designations and 57 additions to the Entity List, most of which will be subject to certain foreign direct product rule restrictions.

The Bureau of Industry and Security updated its restricted aircraft list with another Iranian-owned and -operated plane after it violated U.S. export controls, the agency said this week. BIS said the U.S.-origin cargo plane -- owned by Saha Airlines, which is operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force -- provided cargo flight services to Russia.

The Bureau of Industry and Security updated its restricted aircraft list with another Iranian-owned and operated plane after it violated U.S. export controls, the agency said. BIS said the cargo plane -- owned by Saha Airlines, which is operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force -- flew into Russia without BIS authorization. Certain activities involving the plane, including maintenance and repair, are now subject to restrictions outlined in General Prohibition 10 of the Export Administration Regulations. The agency added three Iranian-owned planes to the list last week.