US lifts curbs on 51 Indian entities

US lifts curbs on 51 Indian entities
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

WASINGTON, DECEMBER 17: United States today announced lifting of post-Pokhran sanctions on 51 Indian entities to more tightly focus the embargoes on those enterprises "most directly involved in proliferation activities of concern", but made no such exceptions in the case of Pakistan.

However, US will continue its ban on dual use item exports to entities in India and Pakistan, US Commerce Assistant Secretary for Export Administration R Roger Majak said while announcing the lifting of sanctions on 51 Indian entities from the list of 200.

These enterprises were banned following detonations of nuclear explosive devices by India and Pakistan in 1998. "The US policy of denial for dual-use items controlled for nuclear and missile technology reasons to all Indian and Pakistani entities remains unchanged," he said in a release.

The action, only on the Indian list, is based on a consensus decision by the administration to "more tightly focus the sanctions on those Indian entities most directly involved inproliferation activities of concern", the department said.

Among the entities which will no longer face American sanctions--except for dual use items--are the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Ambarnath Machine Tool Protoype Factory, Aruvankadu Cordite Factory, Avadi Heavy Vehicle Factory, two of Bharat Heavy Electrical's factories, Cossipore gun and shell factory, and others, the department said in a release.

However, the ban on dual-use item exports will, however, continue to all entities in India and Pakistan.

"The US policy of denial for dual-use items controlled for nuclear and missile technology reasons to all Indian and Pakistani entities," the release said, "remains unchanged, however."

The changes, it said, would take effect after a rule is published in the federal register.

Removal of the entities will make it easier for them to obtain US goods and technology-especially non-sensitive products that ordinarily do not require an export license for India. "Recent congressionalaction," the release noted, "supports today's decision.