ECIA Posts Webinar Recording on Preventing Component Shipments to Russia and Other Bad Actors

The industry can prevent U.S. technology from being used against Ukraine

Atlanta – Miss this critical ECIA webinar from last week? Listen to the recording with Matt Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement with the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).

Mr. Axelrod shared the latest intelligence on tactics used by Russia to subvert US export controls on electronic components to support their missile and UAV programs enabling their unprovoked and unlawful invasion of Ukraine.

BIS has identified U.S.-origin or branded electronics recovered from Iranian drones and other Russian military equipment left on the Ukrainian battlefield.  BIS is working collectively with partners like ECIA across the globe to highlight the specific essential HS-9 codes that must be tracked more carefully. They ask that exporters place extra scrutiny on their customers to prevent diversion through third party countries to Russia.

BIS has a number of resources that companies can leverage, including subject matter experts (SMEs) that will provide an analysis of a company’s compliance systems and processes to combat these tactics. The geopolitical landscape is becoming increasingly volatile and BIS can help identify and understand the red flags that mean these critical U.S. technologies are being diverted to Russian and used against Ukrainian soldiers. Electronics has become an essential element of modern warfare and controlling access can help turn the tide of this unjust war.

“Everyone in the electronic components supply chain should listen to this important webinar,” commented ECIA President David Loftus, and host of the discussion. “The soldiers of Ukraine are fighting against a much larger army of Russians with equipment supplied from countries that are circumventing the sanctions and export controls. Our industry is in the best position to see how these shipments are being diverted if we know what to look for. Watching this webinar is the first step to combat these tactics.”