After Japan and South Korea, India has become the third Asian nation to get Strategic Trade Authorization-1 status from the United States. This federal notification has paved the way for high-technology product sales to New Delhi, particularly in the field of civil space by UPSC and defense sectors.
India has become the 37th country to get STA-1 status by U.S. Previously, US has added only those countries to STA-1 that are members of the four export control regimes which are the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Wassenaar Arrangement (WA), Australia Group (AG), and the NSG. And, India is a member of these four export regimes. The membership application of the nation is pending before NSG because of the political opposition from China.
India’s recognition after getting the STA-1 status
The granting of the STA-1 status to India comes after the recognition of the country as a “major defense partner” by the United States in 2016. Indian leaders like Narendra Modi and Amit Shah also expressed their happiness in getting recognition from the United States.
The federal notification also stated that this action will benefit India’s status as a Major Defence Partner and recognizes the country’s membership in three export control regimes namely the MTCR, WA, and, AG.
This recognition will also facilitate and support India’s military modernization efforts with the US as a reliable provider of advanced defense articles. The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) formally recognizes India’s membership in the WA multilateral export control regimes under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
The notification added,”(BIS believes that this rule will reduce the paperwork burden to the public.”
By giving the STA-1 status to India, the US government acknowledged that for all practical purposes, India adheres to the export control regimes of the NSG.
India so far was listed in the STA-2 category along with Albania, Hong Kong, Israel, Malta, Singapore, South Africa, and Taiwan.
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