WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration on Thursday added 14 Chinese entities to a red flag list, forcing U.S. exports to conduct greater due diligence before shipping goods to them because U.S. officials have been unable to inspect the listed entities.

Being added to the list can potentially start a 60-day clock that could trigger much tougher penalties.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The United States has used restrictions on exports of U.S. goods as a key tool to thwart Beijing’s technological advances

(Reporting by Alexandra Alper and Karen Freifeld; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)