Russian Cargo Airline Illegally Flew to and From China, BIS Says
Aviastar, the Russian cargo airline made subject to a temporary denial order last week (see 2204210043), continued to illegally fly multiple U.S.-origin aircraft after the U.S. in March announced restrictions on those flights (see 2203020072), including to China, the Bureau of Industry and Security said in its April 21 order. Flights included trips from the Russian cities of Novosibirsk and Abakan to the Chinese cities of Hangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhengzhou. All the trips, which took place April 5 to April 12, required approved license applications.
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The airline also operated flights within Russia April 12 to April 15, which violated U.S. export controls. BIS expects Aviastar to continue to try to evade the restrictions by importing aircraft parts or services, and may use its fleet of multiple U.S.-origin 757-200F aircraft to aid the Russian military. But because of the order, the airline can "no longer access U.S. technology or parts to ferry goods to Russia, including military cargo," Matthew Axelrod, BIS's top export enforcement official, told the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America April 21.
Although Russia said in March that China has refused to supply it with aircraft parts (see 2203110008), U.S. officials said they are closely monitoring whether Beijing helps Russia evade international export restrictions and other sanctions (see 2203300039, 2203220065 and 2204130055).
BIS has so far stopped 145 shipments worth nearly $76 million since implementing its Russia export controls in February, including an $11.6 million jet detained last week in Chicago, Axelrod said. He said the agency has also enhanced its “screening mechanisms” to identify and stop illegal exports to Russia. “When someone files paperwork saying they’re shipping something that’s potentially covered by the new controls,” Axelrod said, “we’ll see it and then we can stop it.”
He also said the agency has data on which companies regularly exported to Russia before the controls took effect and is reaching out to those businesses to make sure they’re complying. The agency has conducted 412 of those outreaches so far, Axelrod said.
BIS agents in other countries are also “regularly” holding physical inspections “to make sure that banned items aren’t making their way to Russia,” Axelrod said. But he also said the agency is careful to exempt certain exports to support Ukraine, such as body armor. “The licensing team is committed to expediting license applications for the protection and support of Ukraine and the people of Ukraine,” he said. “We have done so in the recent past and will continue these efforts for as long as necessary.”