BIS Updating Entity List

The Bureau of Industry and Security removed 12 entries from and added one entry to the Entity List, the agency said (here and here). BIS is removing four entities under the destination of Germany, two entities under China, two entities under the United Arab Emirates, one entity under Hong Kong, one entity under India, one entity under Singapore, and one entity under Switzerland. BIS is also adding one entity under China designations. BIS removed ZTE Corporation and ZTE Kangxun Telecommunications Ltd. from the Entity List after ZTE pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count each of conspiring the violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act through illegally shipping U.S.-origin items to Iran, as well as obstruction of justice and making a material false statement (see 1703230025), ending more than a year of sanctions on the company (see 1603070001). According to its announcement, BIS also added one Chinese individual to the Entity List, Shi Lirong, who was ZTE's CEO when company documents that had detailed the firm's illicit export plan were signed. Those documents indicated that ZTE organized a scheme to establish shell companies to Iran in violation of U.S. export control laws, BIS said.