The United States refrains from sanctioning DeepSeek and other Chinese companies despite national security concerns.

The United States has decided not to add the Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek, along with more than 100 other companies, to its trade blacklist, according to several sources familiar with the matter. This decision comes despite these companies having been considered to pose national security risks.

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Entity List aims to restrict the export of American technology and goods to companies deemed sensitive. The lack of recent updates to this list, the longest in over a decade according to officials, is raising concerns within the security and international trade communities.

According to available information, an inter-ministerial committee had already approved the addition of several companies to this list, including DeepSeek and the Chinese memory chip manufacturer CXMT. However, these decisions have not yet been officially published, which is delaying their implementation.

This freeze on new designations is seen by some observers as an additional risk factor, potentially allowing sensitive American technologies to indirectly reach adversary powers. Sources cite cases where unlisted companies allegedly contributed to military equipment acquired abroad.

DeepSeek, which gained notoriety in 2025 with a low-cost artificial intelligence model, is already facing multiple accusations in the United States. American officials claim that the company has supported Chinese military and intelligence activities and attempted to access American technologies through intermediaries in Southeast Asia.

More recently, companies like Anthropic and OpenAI have also raised concerns about alleged attempts by DeepSeek to exploit their AI models. These tensions illustrate the intensifying technological rivalry between Washington and Beijing, as AI and semiconductors have become major strategic issues.