India has become the third Asian country after Japan and South Korea to obtain the Strategic Trade Authorization-1 (STA-1) status after the United States issued a federal notification on the matter.
With this status, India will receive high-technology products sales, particularly in civil and defense sector. It is also the 37th country in the globe to be designated the STA-1 status by the United States, although it is yet to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
The federal notification issued on Friday (3) is gaining significance, as the Trump administration has made an exception for India.
Normally, the United States has listed only those countries in the STA-1 list who are the members of the four export control regimes such as Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Wassenaar Arrangement (WA), Australia Group (AG) and the NSG.
In the federal notification issued yesterday (3), the US government stated that India is a member of three of the four multilateral export regimes.
Due to powerful objection from China, India’s membership application was pending before the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) which reaches a judgment by accord.
The US, by placing India in the STA-1 list, has recognized that for all practical purposed India fits to the export control regimes of the NSG.
This exception for India was meant to sent a strong message to China and the whole world that even its closest ally, Israel, is yet to get a place in STA-1 list as it is not a member of these four multilateral export control regimes.
"This recognition facilitates and supports India's military modernisation efforts with the US as a reliable provider of advanced defense articles," the federal government notification said.
Previously, India was listed in STA-2 list along with countries such as, Albania, Hong Kong, Israel, Malta, Singapore, South Africa, and Taiwan.
Bobby Bawa
