BIS Lists

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) within the US Department of Commerce maintains export control lists.

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BIS Entity List

Identifies foreign parties that pose a risk to US national security or foreign policy interests.

Overview

Attribute	Value
List ID	bis_entity_list
Authority	Bureau of Industry and Security
Update Frequency	Weekly
Legal Basis	Export Administration Regulations (EAR)

What is the Entity List?

The Entity List identifies foreign parties for which exports, reexports, and transfers of items subject to the EAR require a license from BIS.

Key Differences from OFAC

Aspect	OFAC Lists	BIS Entity List
Authority	Treasury	Commerce
Focus	Asset blocking	Export controls
Primary Effect	Transaction prohibition	License requirement
Scope	Financial transactions	Goods & technology

Entity Types

Type	Description
organization	Companies, research institutions
individual	Scientists, executives
government	Government agencies, military

Data Fields

{
  "entity_id": "sw_bis_entity_456",
  "name": "Example Technology Corp",
  "type": "organization",
  "country": "CN",
  "addresses": [
    {
      "street": "456 Tech Park",
      "city": "Shenzhen",
      "country": "CN"
    }
  ],
  "license_requirement": "For all items subject to the EAR",
  "license_policy": "Presumption of denial",
  "federal_register_citation": "85 FR 12345",
  "date_added": "2023-05-15",
  "source": {
    "list_id": "bis_entity_list",
    "entry_id": "456",
    "last_updated": "2026-01-20T00:00:00Z"
  }
}

License Requirements

Requirement	Description
All items subject to EAR	License needed for any controlled item
Specific ECCN	License for certain classification numbers
Technology only	License for technical data/software

License Policies

Policy	Meaning
Presumption of denial	License likely rejected
Case-by-case review	Individual assessment
Presumption of approval	License likely granted

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BIS Denied Persons List (DPL)

Individuals and entities that have been denied export privileges by BIS.

Overview

Attribute	Value
List ID	bis_dpl
Authority	Bureau of Industry and Security
Update Frequency	Weekly
Legal Basis	Export Administration Regulations (EAR)

What is the Denied Persons List?

The DPL contains individuals and entities that have had their export privileges denied by BIS, typically as a result of export control violations.

Data Fields

{
  "entity_id": "sw_bis_dpl_789",
  "name": "John Doe",
  "type": "individual",
  "effective_date": "2024-01-15",
  "expiration_date": "2034-01-15",
  "standard_order": "Order denying export privileges",
  "federal_register_citation": "89 FR 12345",
  "source": {
    "list_id": "bis_dpl",
    "last_updated": "2026-01-20T00:00:00Z"
  }
}

Consequences of Denial

• Cannot participate in any transaction involving items subject to the EAR
• US persons prohibited from dealings
• Export privileges denied for specified period

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Screening Considerations

Name Variations

BIS entities often have:

• Multiple language versions (English, Chinese, etc.)
• Abbreviated forms
• Parent/subsidiary relationships

{
  "name": "Example Technology Corp",
  "aliases": [
    "Example Tech",
    "示例科技公司",
    "Example Technology Corporation Ltd"
  ]
}

Address Matching

Address information helps confirm matches:

curl -X POST "https://api.sanctionswise.orchestraprime.ai/v1/screen/entity" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Example Technology",
    "entity_type": "organization",
    "address": {
      "city": "Shenzhen",
      "country": "CN"
    },
    "lists": ["bis_entity_list", "bis_dpl"]
  }'

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Common Industries

Entities on BIS lists by sector:

Sector	Description
Technology	Semiconductors, AI, quantum
Aerospace	Aircraft, satellites, components
Telecommunications	Network equipment, 5G
Defense	Military suppliers, contractors
Research	Universities, institutes

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API Examples

Screen Against Both BIS Lists

curl -X POST "https://api.sanctionswise.orchestraprime.ai/v1/screen/entity" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Example Corporation",
    "entity_type": "organization",
    "lists": ["bis_entity_list", "bis_dpl"]
  }'

Get BIS Lists Info

curl -X GET "https://api.sanctionswise.orchestraprime.ai/v1/lists" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

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Export Compliance Integration

Workflow Example

def check_export_compliance(buyer_name, destination_country, product_eccn):
    """Check if export requires BIS license."""

    # Screen against both BIS lists
    result = sanctionswise.screen_entity(
        name=buyer_name,
        entity_type="organization",
        address={"country": destination_country},
        lists=["bis_entity_list", "bis_dpl"]
    )

    if result["status"] == "match":
        return {
            "export_allowed": False,
            "reason": f"Buyer on {result['matches'][0]['list_id']}",
            "license_required": True,
            "license_policy": result["matches"][0].get("license_policy", "Unknown")
        }

    return {"export_allowed": True, "license_required": False}

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Data Sources

List	Source	Format
Entity List	bis.doc.gov	PDF, Excel
Denied Persons List	bis.doc.gov/dpl	TXT

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Related Resources

• Export Administration Regulations (EAR)
• BIS Entity List Search
• BIS Denied Persons List
• License Application Process

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SanctionsWise API is a product of OrchestraPrime LLC