Dual-use goods
Also called: Dual-use items · Topic: International Trade Policy, WTO and Intellectual Property · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Dual-use goods are goods, software and technologies that have both civilian and military uses. They can serve peaceful industry or be used to make weapons, including weapons of mass destruction. Governments therefore put them under export controls and require a licence before they can be sold abroad.
Example
India lists dual-use items in its SCOMET list (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies), run by DGFT. India also joined the Wassenaar Arrangement (December 2017), which coordinates controls on dual-use goods among its members.
Don't confuse with
- Sanctions: these restrict trade, finance or investment with a specific country for political aims. Dual-use controls apply to specific items, whoever the buyer is.
Related concepts
- Weaponisation of trade
- Economic coercion
- Economic sanctions
- Secondary sanctions
- Export controls
- Technology denial
- Security exception
- Trade war
- Retaliatory tariff
- Reciprocal tariff