S'pore marine solutions firm linked to Chinese company on US blacklist

SINGAPORE - Local marine firm Highlander Marine (Asia-Pacific) has been linked to a Chinese company that was added to a United States trade blacklist on Tuesday (June 28).

The blacklist states Highlander Marine's location at the Eco-Tech @ Sunview industrial complex near Pioneer Road is an alternate address in Singapore for Beijing Highlander Digital Technology.

The Straits Times understands that Highlander Marine is the sole distributor here for Beijing Highlander - one of 36 entities determined by the US government to be acting contrary to the country's national security and foreign policy interests.

Beijing Highlander's inclusion in the list means that its US suppliers need a Commerce Department licence before they can ship items to the company.

The US Commerce Department said Beijing Highlander, whose products include ship navigation and sensor systems, was among eight entities that acquired or attempted to acquire items of US origin in support of military applications.

It seemed to be business as usual when the ST visited Highlander Marine's warehouse and office on Wednesday afternoon. Deliveries were being made to the warehouse and a pest control team was carrying out treatment.

Signs outside the office showed the names of Highlander Marine (Asia-Pacific), High Seas Marine and South & North Shipping Development.

Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority documents show that Highlander Marine's managing director and majority shareholder, Singaporean Patrick Lim, is also a director of the other two companies.

Highlander Marine was incorporated in 2015. It sells navigation, communication and automation systems, and also provides services such as maintenance and repair of such systems, according to its website.

The ST understands that it employs 10 to 15 people and gets most of its items directly from China. It serves vessels in Singapore and also taps its network of partners in the region to cater to overseas clients.

Highlander Marine did not reply to ST queries.

The US also blacklisted companies for other activities such as supporting Russia's military and defence industrial base amid its invasion of Ukraine, and using "deceptive practices" to supply Iran with electronics from the US that would ultimately support Iran's military.

The 36 companies added to the blacklist include 25 with operations based in China. The other entities were from Britain, Lithuania, Pakistan, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, according to the Federal Register entry.

US Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez said the sweeping export controls are restricting Russia's military ability and will "continue to bite harder the longer Putin persists".

When asked whether Chinese firms had supplied items to Russia's military, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian neither confirmed nor denied the accusations, but repeated China's opposition to US sanctions on Russia, Reuters reported.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said Beijing had not provided military assistance to Russia or Ukraine. It said it would take "necessary measures" to protect the rights of its companies, arguing that the sanctions violate international law, reported Reuters.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to make clear that Highlander Marine (Asia-Pacific) is not on the blacklist.