Door lock and hardware dealer Doris Ao have been doing business in Hong Kong for 20 years. Singapore -based DBS Bank sent a letter to the closure of his account last June. Later, without detailing the matter, the bank refrigerated the activities, which caused the business of Doris to be virtually closed with international suppliers.
After searching online, Doris learned that another organization in line with his organization's name was added to the United States Trade Blacklist in October 2021 on the charge of 'assisting Russia's military or defense industry'. Two addresses are mentioned in the list, one of which is a doris organization.
Standing in his warehouse, Doris Ao told Reuters, 'We are not that organization. This is a complete mistake. '
Meanwhile, the DBS Bank is claiming that Doris's business account has received some 'activities or information' that is not compatible with his account profile.
According to the Reuters report, the cause of the disastrous condition of Doris is the activities of US President Donald Trump's administration. In China, they are connecting the blacklist to the Blacklist one by one to hinder the use of US technology.
Reuters reviews showed that the US exports were banned in 2021 and 2021, or about 5 Chinese and Hong Kong companies in the list of 'NTT' were incorrect information – such as wrong names, addresses and old data.
Reuters have seen the address of some of the companies on that list, but the companies given in the list are not there, but are – Bute Parlor, Coaching Center, Massage Parlor and Counseling Center.
At an address in Shenzhen, Reuters found that the ruins of an old factory covered in weeds, which were broken a few years ago, said locals.
This NTT list, made in the 5th, has now become an important tool for the United States. The country is restricting the use of US technology, especially semiconductor, China and Russia.
During the administration of the Baiden, the United States took initiative to prevent Russia's necessary technology to launch war in Ukraine. To this end, the name of hundreds of companies is added to the NTT list. So that Moscow is such a technology, which is made in China, not easily. At the same time, this list is used to draw the limits to China's artificial intelligence (AI), military modernization and improved capacity in quantum technology.
The dragging trend continues in the Trump administration.
Russia's customs record shows that out of the 12 NTT companies listed in Reuters, 20 T20s exported the banned products to Russia in December 2021. Among the products were semiconductor and other technologies, with the total value of $ 1.5 million.
It is the responsibility of the NTT list on the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), a US trade department. Transaction with these listed companies is not forbidden, but according to the US BIS website, they should be considered as 'red flag' and the respective parties should be verified adequately.
Until last March, Matthew Borman was overseeing US export controls in China and Russia as a top BIS official. He said that BIS analysts listed the organizations through the review of the information and the trade, foreign, defense and energy departments are involved in the process.
Global Broker Solutions Limited, a Hong Kong-based goods transport company, was named NTT in 2021. The company's director Denis Makvev said two BIS agents came to him last October. They want to do 'Post Shipping Verification' with a invoice of 2021, whose purpose was to discuss the final use of the product and the user.
Referring to what was in that shipment, Dennis said, 'I am just forwder, logistics. I do not sell any military goods. '
Makvev said he had created two new companies in less than a week in Hong Kong's Company Registry after raising his company on the blacklist. In addition, after the banks avoided him, he completed the transaction using the e-commerce platform.
Half of the addresses listed in the NTT were visited by Reuters. Such an organization serves as a host address for foreign and Chinese people in the Hong Kong company registry. Some addresses have been shown that the letters of the letter are being upheld in the letter. Again, the condition of something is worn out.
Three Komscake firm staff on the US black list told Reuters that the concerned companies are no longer on their record. Yang, manager of the Comcech Farm Inter Group, said they were still representing hundreds of companies associated with Russian people.
In the meantime, the United States is focusing on the banks who have sent the transactions of the banned products sent to Russia or China. These banks are expected to be at risk of large numbers. Reuters reviews, some banks are closely monitoring their customers to have any connection to the NTT list.
At that time the inconsistencies of the list came up.
Crystal NG HSBC and Dah Singh Singh, a Hong Kong beauty saloon, were rejected when they applied for an account opening at the bank. He said that when he transferred to the new office in late 2021, he found out through one of the banks that his new address was listed in the United States NTT. The previous tenant of the address was a company secretary. Later, NG was able to open a business account after removing his salon to another address.
Former US officials and expert trade lawyer Benjamin Castzeba, in controlling exports, said some addresses were 'ghostly' in the shadow of the old banned institutions. Thousands of names and addresses are tested every day through automatic compliance protocols in banks so that US rules are not violated.
Benjamin said, 'In my opinion, banks are often extra careful. Many times it makes mistakes. '
Doris Ao's business organization is named Win Ki (China-Hong Kong) Limited. Which matches a lot of Win Ki, Win Ki LTD and Win Ki Limited, which adds to the BIS NTT list in 2021.
According to data from the KSE Institute in Ukraine, the important military products that Russia sought for in 2021 – such as semiconductor, radar and communication equipment – flowed through China and Hong Kong.
Senior researcher at the institute Olena Bilusova said Win Ki LTD exported $ 1 million in Russia in 2021, with a banned item worth $ 1 million – such as chip and communication equipment – in itself. According to this information, none of those products were not from Doris Ao's warehouse.
The address that BIS received as Win Ki LTD's address was the office of a company Secretarial (Comseck) Farm Linkage Secretary Limited. The company did not agree to comment on Win Ki LTD. According to the Registrar's record, Win Ki LTD disappeared in May 2021.
Taiwan participated in the control of exports together with the United States and its allies after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to the country's economic ministry, Taiwan has added Hong Kong's Win Ki LTD to a trade blacklist in October 2021.
Doris Ao said his address has since become a blacklist by Washington, the United States and other foreign suppliers and courier have refused to send goods to him. He estimated that his loss was more than $ 1 million.
BIS has said on their website that someone can apply if anyone wants to remove the name of their organization from the NTT list. However, no action was taken even though the mail was sent on the matter, Doris Ao said. He said that sending an email to BAIS get a response from them asking for more details and information. Then, if the information was provided and Doris did not get any return. The answer was found, where more information was sought and he provided them, but no more communication ever since.
Two former US officials said the application process was very low used and generally viewed by US authorities suspiciously.
In this context, Steve Kuneen, a former export controller and foreign affairs adviser to the US government, said the NTT list is like 'Hotel California' where you may be happy when you can check in, but never get out.
However, the BIS and the US Commerce Department did not have any answers to these mistakes on the NTT list and whether any steps were taken to amend it.
A former US official claimed that BIS was suffering from severe 'wealth shortage'. Some US officials have agreed to say this. They said that due to limited manpower, it is difficult for BIC to update the list or to verify the wrong information.
Former BIS official Borman said many of the listed companies are actually 'front company'. That is, hiding the original business is a means of showing another organization or 'black money white. And the challenge of BIS is that these companies can easily move to another address or by other name.
