The United States has imposed sanctions on firms in China, Russia and Venezuela for alleged sales of weapons or sensitive technology to Iran, North Korean and Syria, according to a State Department document. The sanctions were imposed on organisations that had passed on goods or technology that could help Iran, North Korea or Syria develop weapons of mass destruction or missile systems, the document said. “A determination has been made that thirteen foreign persons have engaged in activities that warrant the imposition of measures pursuant to Section 3 of the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act,” the document said. The document, effective from Oct 23, was published on the US Federal Register http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/ (page 63226). Russian news agencies reported on it on Friday after one of the Russian organisations targeted issued a statement on the US decision. Under the sanctions, which usually last two years, no US government agency may enter into any agreement with the organisations. Sanctions were imposed on 13 organiZations, including China Xinshidai Company, China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Corporation, Huazhong CNC as well as Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and the Venezuelan Military Industries Company. Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a spokesman for Rosoboronexport as saying the State Department's measures were “a case of unscrupulous competition,” by the US. The US accuses Iran of seeking to build a nuclear bomb, a charge denied by Tehran which says its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only. Russia says there is no evidence Iran is seeking nuclear weapons. Syria, Sudan and Iran are on a US list of countries that the United States deems as official sponsors of terrorism. The United States imposed sanctions in 2006 on Rosoboronexport, now a unit of Russian industrial group Russian Technologies, provoking sharp criticism from Moscow.
