US blacklists 6 Pak firms for 'unsafeguarded' nuclear proliferation

Washington, Dec 09: The United States has designated six Pakistani companies based on its entity list for unsafeguarded nuclear and missile proliferation activities. The Department of Commerce added as many as 24 companies to the entities list including those from Pakistan, Latvia, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland and United Arab Emirates.

"Today, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a rule that adds 24 new entities to the Entity List under 26 entries, applying stringent license requirements that will severely restrict these entities' access to commodities, software, and technologies subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). These entities are added under the destinations of Russia, Switzerland, Latvia, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.)," the US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) said in a press release.

Six Pakistan-based companies which are designed are: Dynamic Engineering Corperation, Rainbow Solutions (Pakistan), Universal Drilling Engineers (Pakistan), EnerQuip Private, Ltd. (Pakistan), NAR Technologies General Trading LLC (Pakistan and UAE) and TROJANS (Pakistan and UAE). These companies were added to the entity list for "unsafeguarded nuclear activity and missile proliferation related activities."

"For the unacceptable risk of using or diverting items subject to the EAR for Pakistan's unsafeguarded nuclear activities, Dynamic Engineering Corperation has been added to the Entity List," BIS said in the statement. "Five companies are being added to the Entity List for their contributions to unsafeguarded nuclear activity and missile proliferation related activities that are contrary to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States," the statement added.

Advancements in missile and nuclear technology must be vigorously protected from those who seek to cause harm and destruction at a global scale, US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration Thea Rozman Kendler. "We cannot allow the export of U.S. technology to contribute to nuclear proliferation worldwide. Our action today helps to prevent that from happening and demonstrates U.S. leadership in standing up for the principles of ethical innovation," she added.

According to US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration Thea Rozman Kendler, advancements in missile and nuclear technology must be vigorously protected from those who seek to cause harm and destruction at a global scale. "We cannot allow the export of U.S. technology to contribute to nuclear proliferation worldwide. Our action today helps to prevent that from happening and demonstrates U.S. leadership in standing up for the principles of ethical innovation," Kendler added.