Semiconductors and other restricted goods shipped through China and Hong Kong to fuel Russia's war effort fell by a fifth this year, previously undisclosed U.S. Commerce Department data shows, but Hong Kong remains a global sanctions evasion hotspot.
Transshipments through Hong Kong of Common High Priority Items (CHPL) — advanced components including microelectronics deemed by the U.S. and European Union as likely to be used for Russia's war in Ukraine — fell 28% between January and May, a Commerce Department official said.
For the same period, transshipments of those items through mainland China, excluding Hong Kong, fell 19%, the official said.