Let’s say you are a local supplier of fertiliser. One day you received an order from outside Malaysia to supply tons of fertiliser to them. You know every export procedure, but the items are not allowed to leave the port or cargo terminals because you did not realise about one thing: STA.
Did you know that fertiliser is one of dual use items, which are often used by terrorist to produce explosive?
What is STA?
Before we understand what is strategic items, let’s understand what is STA first.
STA is Strategic Trade Act 2010 (Akta Perdagangan Strategik 2010), intended to control the export, transshipment, transit and brokering of strategic items and technology, including arms and related material, as well as activities that will or may facilitate the design, development, production and delivery of weapons of mass destruction.
STA in Malaysia was enacted in response to a passed Resolution at United Nations (UN) Security Council during the year 2004, which requested all member countries to establish an export control system for the purpose of controlling the transfer and prevent the trafficking of any components that can be used to produce weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
What is the strategic item?
Strategic item refers to goods and technology that are controlled under the STA 2010.
Strategic items consist of :
- Military items including but not limited to weapons, armours, accessories, vehicles, which is under ML category
- Dual-use items, which can be used for both civilian and military purposes. Under 0-9 categories.
A definitive and comprehensive list of strategic items are prescribed in the Strategic Trade (Strategy Items) (Amendment) Order 2018. The Order reflects the items currently required to be controlled under the international export control regimes as well as the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.
How STA affect the import / export of it?
For export / transit / transshipment activity of the said items in the list above in Malaysia, an STA permit is required.
Government agencies related to STA are:
- Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI / Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri)
- Ministry of Health (MOH / Kementerian Kesihatan)
- Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC / Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia)
- Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB / Lembaga Perlesenan Tenaga Atom)
Each STA permits approval agencies are depend on what type of strategic items itself.
Is my items is strategic items or not?
We can check it for you, as well as providing consultation on how to comply with STA requirements.