The United States has removed three Indian nuclear entities—the Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Center, the Bhabha Atomic Research Center, and Indian Rare Earths—from its export control list, which restricts the export of certain goods from US companies.
The US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) said on Wednesday that the removals aim to “support US foreign policy objectives by reducing barriers to advanced energy cooperation, including joint research and development as well as science and technology collaboration, to address shared energy security needs and goals.”
“The United States and India share a commitment to advancing peaceful nuclear cooperation and associated research and development activities, with strengthened science and technology cooperation over the past several years benefiting both countries and their global partners.”, the BIS added.
Matthew Borman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, emphasized that the removal of these three Indian entities would enable closer cooperation between the United States and India in securing resilient critical mineral and clean energy supply chains. He noted that this action aligns with and supports the broader ambition and strategic direction of the US-India partnership.
The US had initially added these and other Indian organizations to the Entity List following the May 1998 nuclear tests. In 2015, during President Barack Obama’s administration, nine Indian organizations were removed from the list.
On Wednesday, the BIS also announced the addition of 11 Chinese organizations to the Entity List. Ten of these entities were cited for advancing the People’s Republic of China’s military modernization through artificial intelligence research and integration, while one was added for its involvement in developing lithography technology for advanced-node fabrication facilities. This technology supports China’s indigenous production of advanced integrated circuits for military applications.
(ians)