WASHINGTON—In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the U.S. Commerce Department has banned exports of high-tech products to Russia. The BIS' goal is to hamper Russia's ability to produce tanks, airplanes and other military equipment.

The European Union (EU), in conjunction with Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand, have agreed to adopt similar sanctions. The Commerce Department has also imposed restrictions on Russian access to semiconductors, computers, telecommunications technology, information security equipment, lasers and sensors, and added 49 Russian military end-user organizations to its Entity List.

Placement on the list requires that special licenses be obtained for items developed in the U.S. as well as foreign items produced using U.S. equipment, software and blueprints before they can be sent to these Russian entities. Instructions for filing for such licenses state that the parties involved should assume such license requests will be denied.

In a fact sheet, the BIS outlined the main components of the regulation that took effect on Feb. 24. It says this final rule builds on existing restrictions on exports to Russia and implements major policies specific to Russia and Russian end-users. “Russia’s attack on Ukraine is an attack on the democratic, rules-based order, and the United States must meet this aggression with real consequences,” says Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves in the press release.