German company fined for violating sanctions regime with Russia

A company from the German city of Ulm has been fined EUR 190,000 for illegally exporting dual-use equipment to Russia, according to the newspaper Stuttgarter-Nachrichten, Yevropeiska Pravda reported on 9 January. A customs spokesman explained that the machines could be also used for military purposes; such exports are allowed only upon receiving a special permit, which the firm did not obtain. "The request for permission is usually rejected if the political situation in the recipient country is not consistent with the foreign and security policy of Germany, that is, if a decision was made on an embargo or sanctions," explained the German customs service. The name of the company and the type of equipment delivered were not named. Since the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula Crimea in 2014, the EU has imposed various sanctions against Russia. The spokesman did not say which company or what kind of machinery was involved. Customs officials became aware of illegal exports when they inspected a spare part for one of the machines. It was noticed that the machines themselves had already left the EU without a permit being granted. According to the customs investigation, the company had delivered the machines prematurely in order to avoid the threat of a contractual penalty. The customs officers became aware of illegal exports when they examined the spare part for one of the cars. It is noted that the technology itself has already left the EU without a proper permit. According to the German customs investigation, the company delivered the equipment prematurely to avoid the threat of a contractual penalty. Recently, the Ukrainian outlet Black Sea News discovered a scheme where German ships delivered Norwegian ilmenite to occupied Crimea in breach of EU sanctions. In the summer of 2017, turbines of the German company Siemens were delivered to occupied Crimea, also in breach of EU sanctions. None of these incidents have received attention of the German government. A study by the Kiel Center for World Economy has found that Germany bears the main brunt of EU sanctions against Russia.

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