BEIJING (Reuters) - The Chinese commerce ministry said on Tuesday that it had added seven U.S. companies to its so-called "Unreliable Entity List" for their involvement in arms sales to Taiwan, which China regards as part of its territory.

Effective from Tuesday, the blacklisted companies, which include Inter-Coastal Electronics, will be banned from exporting to and importing from China or making new investments in the country, according to the commerce ministry.