From October 8, 2022 to March 24, 2023, the Chinese company Quzhou Nova purchased at least 3220 tons of copper alloy ingots for a total of 7.4 million dollars from the Debaltsevo metallurgical machine-building plant in the territory under Russian control of the Donetsk region, writing Reuters, citing Russian customs data.
The agency recalls that the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, controlled by the Russian authorities, are subject to Western sanctions. China has not imposed any restrictions on trade with Russia, but the United States has threatened to blacklist foreign companies that violate its sanctions and has repeatedly warned Beijing against supplying restricted goods to Moscow. .
Reuters cites “customs information” obtained “from a trade data provider” and cross-checked with two other sources. According to the agency, this is one of the first evidences of China’s trade with Ukrainian territories controlled by Russia after the start of the military operation.
Quzhou Nova is a trading and manufacturing company based in Quzhou city, eastern Zhejiang province. Its website indicates that it specializes in the export of wrapping paper, manufactures and sells products for the tobacco industry, including paper, aluminum foil and polypropylene film.
Quzhou Nova’s office assured that it was not engaged in trade-related exports and imports of copper alloy ingots. Asked by Reuters to comment on the customs data document, the company’s press office said it could not analyze it because it was “not signed or stamped”. The agency’s dialogue with Quzhou Nova ended with the company’s offer to approach the customs service.
The database, which accumulates information on all shipments in the world, does not contain documents with seals and signatures, explains Reuters. Chinese state customs statistics show that between October 2022 and February 2023, copper and copper alloys worth $852 million were imported into the country from Russia.
A source from the Debaltsevo plant, on condition of anonymity, told the agency that there is a non-ferrous metallurgy workshop on the territory of the company, but declined to comment on the supply information. in copper alloys in China, calling the data a “trade secret”.
Customs departments in Russia and China refused to provide reporters with information about Quzhou Nova’s purchases, explaining that they do not disclose such information about specific companies because it is confidential.
“Asked about it on Friday, the Kremlin said it did not know if Reuters news about the deal was true or what evidence there was. The Kremlin said it had no information on the matter. himself,” the agency writes.
The US State Department has expressed concern about “collusion” between Beijing and Moscow. “We warned the PRC that aiding the Russian war effort would have serious consequences. We will not hesitate to oppose organizations that help Russia circumvent sanctions,” the representative of the US Department assured.
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