To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: As 2020 comes to a close, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) continues to implement new measures targeting countries of interest, among them Russia and China (which now, for export purposes, officially includes Hong Kong). Because these measures are effective now, companies will need to ensure that they have in place procedures to ensure compliance with these measures, including compliance with licensing and reporting requirements. On December 22, 2020, BIS published a final rule adding 77 entities to the Entity List as a result of their having been determined by the U.S. government to have been engaging in or enabling activities contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. The changes took effect December 18, 2020. Among the entities added to the Entity List pursuant to the rule is Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation Incorporated (SMIC) and 10 related entities; they were added because of concern regarding their role in transactions with entities of concern in the Chinese military industrial complex. Licenses are now required in connection with the export, re-export, or in-country transfer of any item subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) when a listed entity is a party to the transaction (i.e., purchaser, intermediate consignee, ultimate consignee, end-user). A wide range of other entities, including parties involved in shipbuilding and a number of universities and research institutes, in China (including Hong Kong), Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Pakistan, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates were also included among the additions.