Indian firms sanctioned by US didn’t violate domestic laws: MEA
The Indian companies were among nearly 400 entities and individuals sanctioned by the US for enabling Russia to carry out its ‘illegal war’ against Ukraine.
India on Saturday said none of the 18 Indian companies sanctioned by the US this week for supplying electronic, engineering and aviation components to Russia had violated domestic laws, though authorities are sensitising firms to new export control measures that can impact their operations.
The Indian companies were among nearly 400 entities and individuals sanctioned by the US state and treasury departments on October 30 for enabling Russia to carry out its “illegal war” against Ukraine, readouts from the American side said.
Most of the Indian firms faced sanctions for shipping electronic, computer and aviation components and dual use goods to Russia.
“Our understanding is that the sanctioned transactions and companies are not in violation of Indian laws,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing when asked about the US sanctions.
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“We are also in touch with the US authorities to clarify issues,” he said.
Indian government agencies are conducting outreach events on strategic trade and export controls for Indian industries and stakeholders. In keeping with India’s established non-proliferation credentials, authorities are working with relevant departments and agencies to sensitise Indian firms on applicable export control provisions, and to “inform them on new measures being implemented that could impact Indian companies in certain circumstances”.
Jaiswal contended India has a “robust legal and regulatory framework” for trade in strategic goods and non-proliferation controls and said the country is a member of three key multilateral non-proliferation export control regimes – Wassenaar Arrangement, Australia Group and Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
India has also effectively implemented relevant United Nations Security Council sanctions and UNSC resolution 1540 on non-proliferation, he said.
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The Wassenaar Arrangement promotes transparency and responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, while simultaneously preventing diversion of such items to support the development of military capabilities. The Australia Group is an informal arrangement to allow exporting or trans-shipping countries to minimise the risk of assisting the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons, while the MTCR is an informal political understanding among states to limit the proliferation of missiles and missile technology.
The US state and treasury departments slapped sanctions this week on nearly 400 companies and individuals from China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Switzerland, Thailand, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), saying they had helped Russia evade earlier sanctions by supplying a range of dual use equipment and components.
These designations are meant to “disrupt sanctions evasion and target entities in multiple third countries”, the US said.
The statements announcing the sanctions said the Indian firms had collectively sent thousands of shipments of a range of goods and dual use items to Russian entities between 2022 and 2024.