BIS 'Takes Seriously' Allegations of Export Violations Involving Huawei, Agency Says

After receiving criticism this week for its lack of progress in a possible investigation of illegal exports to Huawei, a Bureau of Industry and Security spokesperson said the agency is “committed to fully investigating any allegation” of violations of the foreign direct product rule, including illegal shipments to the Chinese technology giant. The agency has come under criticism for not yet penalizing Seagate Technologies for potentially illegally exporting goods to Huawei (see 2206070011).

The BIS spokesperson declined to comment on the “specifics of any particular matter” but said June 7 it “takes seriously all threats to national security within its jurisdiction,” including “any attempts to procure or divert export controlled items to Huawei or its affiliates on the Entity List.” The spokesperson said the agency “aggressively pursues criminal and civil penalties related to unauthorized exports to China, and investigations are carried out by law enforcement officers whose mission is to investigate such violations and pursue them criminally and administratively.”