Dual-Use Goods

Indian customs officials intercepted the Malta-flagged merchant ship heading to Karachi  and seized the consignment to prevent the illegal transfer of dual-use military-grade items to Pakistan.

What are Dual-Use Goods?

• Dual-use goods are items with both civilian and military applications.
• They are regulated to prevent their transformation or use in military or terrorist activities.
• Identifying dual-use goods is challenging due to outdated trade processes and the potential for false positives.
• Examples include GPS, missiles, nuclear technology, night vision, thermal imaging, certain drones, and specific types of ball bearings and aluminum pipes.

About Wassenaar Arrangement:

• The arrangement was established in July 1996 in Wassenaar, Netherlands.
• It aims to promote regional and international security by controlling the transfer of conventional arms and dual-use goods.
• It seeks to prevent destabilizing accumulations of these items.
• It is a successor to the CoCom and is less strict, focusing on transparency and responsibility rather than imposing a veto power.
• It is not legally binding and operates through the national policies of participating states.
• It has 42 member countries, including India.
• It conducts bi-annual information exchanges regarding conventional arms deliveries to non-member states.