Company sold $6.67 million worth of products to Russian end users without necessary BIS licenses
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) today announced a civil penalty of $3.3 million against a radio frequency and microwave power solutions company for unlicensed shipments of transistors and related products to Russia. These items, designated as Common High Priority List (CHPL) items, are sought by Russia for its defense industrial base amid its invasion of Ukraine.
According to today’s BIS release, the California-based company sold approximately $6.67 million worth of these products to Russian end users between February 2023 and October 2023 without the necessary BIS licenses. The company voluntarily disclosed the violations, leading to a reduced penalty, with $1.5 million suspended due to financial constraints. The violations involved 94 instances of exporting CHPL items without authorization, despite the company's awareness of the shipments' destinations.