The United States has imposed sanctions on foreign firms that are suspected of having assisted North Korea, Iran or Syria in their development of weapons of mass destruction and missiles.

The State Department said Tuesday that Washington imposed sanctions on three Chinese entities and one individual, five Iranian entities and one individual, two Syrian entities, two Belarusian entities, one North Korean entity and one Venezuelan entity.

The department said the sanctions were imposed as there was credible information indicating the firms and individuals had transferred to or acquired from North Korea, Iran or Syria equipment and technology listed on multilateral export control lists. The department added that the entities were considered to have the potential to make a material contribution to weapons of mass destruction or cruise or ballistic missile systems.

The North Korean firm that was included in the recent list was Tangun Trading Corporation which assists the North’s research and development of nuclear weapons and missiles. The company had been included in the U.N. Security Council’s (UNSC) list of North Korean entities faced with sanctions in line with UNSC Resolutions 1718 and 1874.

Washington will suspend any transactions with the newly designated entities and individuals for the next two years.