U.S. suspends export rights of Belgian company for allegedly sending technology to China:

The U.S. Commerce Department said on Wednesday (August 31) that it had suspended export privileges for a Belgian company and its parent company for 180 days for attempting to send sensitive technology to China in violation of U.S. regulations.

The Commerce Department's export ban reads: Hans De Geetere and Belgium-based Hasha-Invest, on behalf of their Chinese clients (which include aerospace contractors), Companies buy or attempt to buy accelerometers that measure data such as machine vibration and seismic activity.

The Commerce Department’s injunction alleges that Hans de Gittler and Harsha Investments falsely told a U.S. company that the accelerometer was made for a European customer. The Commerce Department did not name the U.S. company, but said it has distributors in China and Germany.

The ban also said at least some orders for accelerometers were placed on behalf of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, a contractor for Beijing's space program, which has been placed on Washington's export control list.

Accelerometers are used by the aerospace and defense industries, and defendant companies made false representations to U.S. companies to obtain these items, raising significant concerns about future violations," the Commerce Department's injunction said.

Hans de Gittler and Harsha Investments did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

One of de Gittler's breaches occurred around April 2021, the order said, when Harsha Investments told a U.S. company that they were purchasing accelerometers for a Belgian government agency.

The Commerce Department's ban added that another attempt in June involved two shipments from a U.S. company to a newly established company in the United Arab Emirates, but the company did not have equipment that required the use of accelerometers.

The injunction said the Commerce Department had sent a letter to the U.S. company informing the company that a special license would be required if accelerometers were exported to China.

(This article is based on a Reuters report)