The U.S. Federal Register carried an official statement on the controversy today. As it says, the State Department nonproliferation desk passed the sanctions decision, July 15. Susan Burke, acting Undersecretary of State for nonproliferation, confirmed it with a written resolution the next day.
As her resolution has it, the Altai was involved in activities undermining missile technologies nonproliferation-hence the sanctions.
They envisage a two-year suspension of export licenses for U.S. corporate transactions with the culprit company, and a ban, for a similar term, on whatever U.S. federal government export/import contracts with the Altai.
The sanctions, entering into force today, concern exports of materials and equipment on missile technological trade limitation lists.
The Altai bases in Biisk, Altai Territory in West Siberia's south, with a number of industrial affiliates. Its pivotal activities concern R&D and manufacture of explosives, composite materials, ultra-dispersion diamonds, fire extinguishers, construction and insulating materials, catalysts, and a wide range of gadgetry. Prolific company activities are much more extensive than that, to include medicines and cosmetics.
