China Nuclear Industry Huaxing Construction Co. was charged with conspiring with the China subsidiary of the US company PPG Industries to deliver high-performance epoxy coatings to the Pakistan nuclear power plant without obtaining permission.
The Chashma II plant, under construction at the time the shipments were made, 2006-07, was on the US Treasury's "Entity List" subjecting it to specific license requirements for exporting certain items to it.
PPG and its China subsidiary, PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co, were already fined $3.75 million two years ago in the case.
"Huaxing - the PRC-corporate entity that bought the coatings for application in the Pakistani reactor - has accepted responsibility for its role in the crime," said US Attorney Ronald Machen.
"The lesson here is clear: we will pursue violations of US export controls wherever they occur in the world, we will prosecute both individuals and corporate wrong-doers, and a corporation's status as foreign-owned, or even state-owned, will not bar enforcement of those laws in US courts."
The Chashma nuclear facility, in Punjab province, is controlled by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, which was placed under US export restrictions in 1998 after Pakistan successfully detonated a nuclear bomb for the first time.
COMMENTS (14)
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@What:
And China is our "all-weather-friend". They simply can't do this to China.
@Cautious: Hope Sexton Blake's comment against your comment has to be good enough and satisfactory and at least now you must have to know the real and actual economic conditions and facts of USA....And I totally agree with Sexton Blake's comment here....
@Cautious: Dear Cautious, The US debt level is so high that every country in the world is concerned, and is the main reason for the price hike in gold, and why many countries, including China, are moving away from US dollars. At the latest count US National Debt is rapidly approaching $17 trillion with no hope of paying it back. US total debt is almost $59 trillion, and total debt per US family is $705,000. These figures may not bother you, but they do bother anybody with the slightest degree of economic sanity, which China certainly has. I tend to agree with Clear Black Bag, who raised some good points. America in its arrogance is treading on a very dangerous path, making new rules up as it goes along, and needs to treat China carefully.
@Clear Black Bag. Suggest you re-read the article. The USA actually fined the offending company (owned by China) so your argument that the USA would never dare to fine China is nonsense. Further - the USA doesn't beg for loans from China - the USA sells bonds on the open market and there is such a high demand for those bonds that the USA is only required to pay a nominal rate of interest. Anti American blather maybe popular in Pakistan but it's still blather.
@Jeddy: You must be kidding me, check the list of things owned by China in US....LOL.
Methinks even I am sure that US is living in fool's paradise and is considering China like Pakistan which can/shall be pressurized easily.This is why US is doing so but the ground realities are different from the facts and US already has been requested for loans from China to secure its economy from bankruptcy most especially importantly when US was facing severe economic crises...... US leaders China is not Pakistan and you can never treat China as you treat Pakistan because China doesn't depend upon US' aid....Therefore forget it that you shall pressurize China and fulfill your this desire of getting $3.75m......
US alienating both Pakistan and China.
What is so special about Epoxy Coatings. These can easily be maufactured in Pakistan. Pakistan has the reactors to cook the resins and all other basic raw materials to make the coating.
Why even import is beyond me.
EAA
Con game USA style..
Good move.. either we should have the capability to build these ourselves, else dont polish chinese shoes. ...
@What: but china is your so called friend and.......
We all know that America has been the world bully for some time, but a $6.75 million punishment for selling a few cans of paint, to someone the US disapproves of, is somewhat over the top. One wonders where the world will finish up when countries take on such dictatorial powers that they can make it a crime to sell paint. But then, we know it was not America's idea. America is just a puppet, without pride, whose strings are being manipulated, from the top, by a very small country.
no this is a lie, US is our best friend! they can't do this.
Why they were allowed to let go with so little fine.