The Financial Times writes that about $1 billion worth of goods from the European Union did not reach buyers from Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as they were “lost” in transit through Russia. The publication called it the “ghost trade”. The Financial Times states that the goods were sent in 2022, after the start of the Russian special operation.
“The inconsistency in the records shows that Russia circumvented major sanctions by giving intermediaries, agents or suppliers fake destinations on EU customs declarations. “This method has helped Moscow maintain access to the most important European goods,” he said.
– writes the publication.
According to the FT, immediately after the start of the NWO, $2 billion worth of goods were imported from EU countries to Russia under the pretext of transit to other countries.
According to the EU leadership, these products could potentially be used for military or intelligence purposes: aerospace components, optical equipment, gas turbines, broadcast products, etc.
“Where else could it go? Why would these countries suddenly need these goods at a time like this? Who needs these goods the most in the region? Erki Kodar, Estonian Foreign Ministry Deputy Chancellor for Legal and Consular Affairs, said, “Obviously, this is Russia.”
Lithuania — Kazakhstan
The FT reports that 13 months before the start of the NWO, Lithuanian companies sent $28 million worth of dual-use goods to Kazakhstan, but Kazakhstan only received $9 million worth of products. a cost $84 million in goods, but Kazakhstan reported 11 million tons of products.
The FT states that Western countries are trying to block the supply of goods from third countries to Russia. According to the publication, the actual volume of “ghost trade” from Europe to Russia is significantly higher, as it relates to $1 billion in restricted goods, which journalists compared with international trade data. That’s why some experts are in favor of tightening export controls in order to impose tighter anti-Russian sanctions.
“Inconsistencies in world trade statistics are not unusual, but they go beyond typical minor errors. <…> It took almost a decade and billions of dollars in fines for the financial industry to start paying attention to sanctions. Why should companies behave differently in export controls?” Elina Rybakova, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told the FT.
On February 25, the EU banned the transit of dual-use goods, including integrated circuits and thermal imagers, through Russia, on the anniversary of the start of the NWO. In particular, Lithuania called for an expansion of the list of dual-use goods that are prohibited from being passed through the Russian Federation. In Estonia, they called for the cessation of the transit of goods through Russia, with the exception of humanitarian cargo.
On April 20, Bloomberg sources said that for the upcoming 11th round of sanctions, the G7 will discuss a complete ban on exports to Russia. If all goods are allowed to be supplied to the Russian Federation, except those for which the Russian Federation is now sanctioned, all exports will be banned along with the new package. Later, the agency’s sources announced that the EU plans to soften the list of products allowed for importation, without naming them, but without naming them. Europe is also considering blocking exports to countries that act as intermediaries to Russia and transfer sanctioned goods.