Commerce Department Sanctioning ZTE Over Alleged Defense Shipments to Iran

The federal government's interagency End-User Review Committee added Chinese telecom equipment company ZTE and three affiliated firms to the entity list after the ERC determined the trio had cooperated in a "scheme" to re-export controlled items to Iran contrary to U.S. law, the Bureau of Industry and Security said in a notice to appear in Tuesday's Federal Register. ZTE's plan allegedly involved establishing, controlling and using multiple shell companies to illicitly re-export controlled items to Iran in violation of U.S. export control laws, BIS said. ZTE didn't comment Monday.