Page 86 - SMUGGLING IN INDIA REPORT FOR 2020-2021

40 2020-2021 SMUGGLING IN INDIA REPORT
Strategic Trade Control Enforcement
India is a signatory to three of the four major export control regimes viz. Wassenaar Arrangement, Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and the Australia Group and is a responsible member of the international community.
Consequently, India makes all possible efforts to ensure that its borders and trade are not used for proliferation and illegal trade in dual-use goods and technologies. In this regard, Customs as a border agency and DRI as an apex law enforcement agency act in tandem, for effective deterrence.
India has an excellent non- proliferation record and has never allowed its economic frontiers to be misused for activities that threaten international peace and harmony. Strategic Trade Control Enforcement refers to enforcing
licensing provisions in the trade of strategic goods like WMDs or dual-use goods, which have both military and civilian applications. As the expansion of global trade and supply chains intersects with the advancement in technologies and growing stature of India in international trade, Strategic Trade Control Enforcement (STCE) has become an important dimension of national security. In the Indian context, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) notifies a list of goods and technologies under the SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technology). These goods and technologies have dual-use applications, i.e. these can be used for both military and civilian applications.
India has become a preferred trading route in the global supply chain leading to the need for extra vigil in respect of goods transiting through Indian airports and sea ports. This is evident from the cases related to enforcement of strategic trade controls detected by DRI and Indian Customs in 2020-21, wherein equipment controlled under the SCOMET list