The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has unveiled plans to add 103 Russian and Chinese entities to its list of military end-users, therefore subjecting them to export restrictions. The expanded list includes Russia's aircraft manufacturer holding UAC United Aircraft Corporation (Zhukovsky) and parts of China's counterpart AVIC, but not COMAC (Shanghai Pudong).
"This action establishes a new process to designate military end users on the MEU List to assist exporters in screening their customers for military end users. The Department recognizes the importance of leveraging its partnerships with U.S. and global companies to combat efforts by China and Russia to divert U.S. technology for their destabilizing military programs," Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said.
In total, 58 Chinese firms will be added to the list. That number includes, among others:
- seven subsidiaries of state-owned aviation holding AVIC;
- Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (Harbin), the manufacturer of Y12 turboprops;
- Shaanxi Aircraft Company (Hanzhong), the manufacturer of Shaanxi Y-8 transport aircraft;
- Xian Aircraft Company (Xi'an Yanliang), the manufacturer of MA-60s and MA-600s.
Notably, China's leading commercial aircraft developer COMAC, which manufactures ARJ21-700s and is developing the C919, has not been included on the list.
Among the 43 sanctioned Russian firms are most of the country's aircraft manufacturers, including:
- parent holding UAC,
- Irkut (Irkutsk Northwest), the manufacturer of SSJ 100/95s and MC-21-300s;
- Beriev Aircraft Company (GBM, Taganrog), the manufacturer of Be-200 amphibious aircraft;
- Sukhoi (Zhukovsky), the manufacturer of military aircraft, and its civilian division Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (Zhukovsky) which is now integrated into Irkut;
- Tupolev Design Bureau (Zhukovsky), the manufacturer of the Tu-204/Tu-214 family;
- Russian Helicopters (Moscow Sheremetyevo) with its subsidiary Kazan Helicopters (Kazan Borisoglebskoye), which are not part of UAC;
- Rostec, a state-owned industrial conglomerate which is the ultimate parent of both UAC and Russian Helicopters.
The list does not include the Ilyushin Design Bureau (Zhukovsky), which produces Il-76 freighters and is the developer of Il-114 regional turboprops.
The DOC said the list was still subject to public and interdepartmental review. The former is due to start on December 22, 2020.
According to US law, a special licence, granted on a case-by-case basis, is required for the export of any components to any of the companies included on the MEU list.
