TOKYO —

Japan will contribute to international security by expanding the range of products subject to its arms export control, trade ministry officials said Thursday. By revising the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law, the government will especially tighten regulations on exports from Japan to 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, North Korea and Somalia, which are subject to weapons embargoes under U.N. Security Council resolutions, the officials said. Following the revision on Nov. 1, companies and individuals will be required to obtain approval from the ministry when they plan to export items and technology that may be used for weapons to the 10 countries.
   
For other countries, the ministry will also increase the number of products subject to its arms export control, they said. After the revision, 32 items including nickel alloy, gravity meters, marine cameras and radar devices will be added to the country’s trade control list. Companies and individuals will be required to win approval from the ministry if they plan to export the new 32 items and other high-tech products that are already designated as potential weapons under the current system. But exports to 26 countries, of which most of them are industrialized countries, including Australia, Germany, Sweden and the United States, will not be affected by the revision, the officials said.
    The changes are reflecting trade control lists of a multilateral framework called the Wassenaar Arrangement, which was set up in 1996 to restrict export of weapons and technology convertible to military use, the officials said.

Kyodo

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4 Comments

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  rajakumar at 01:19 AM JST - 23rd August

  Arms export control,the more by Japan/others the better.

  Less arms and arm sales around in all nations ,better for all nations.

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  ca1ic0cat at 01:23 AM JST - 23rd August

  given the present Japanese controls on arms - are they going to stop exporting flatware? I didn't think the Japanese exported a lot of arms to begin with. That seems to be a gig for the US, Russia, the EU and China....

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  kimigano at 01:37 AM JST - 23rd August

  Hopefully better controls on this industry will help our firm by wiping out the opposition that doesn't have enough money to pay proper bribes.

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  OgieDoggie at 02:40 AM JST - 23rd August

  I buy all my arms from Russia because that way I know they work!

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