Aircra MRO, shipping among industries that benefit from STA 2010

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry is one of the beneficiaries of the Strategic Trade Act (STA) 2010.

According to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry’s (MITI) first strategic trade controller Datuk Mohamed Shahabar Abdul Kareem, most aircraft, aircraft engines and aviation components are controlled for export purposes by the United States (US).

With STA 2010 in place, he said the US would know the end users of the parts from Malaysia, and will approve the aircraft parts or components to be assembled in Malaysia.

“And that has benefited the industry in the country,” he told Bernama in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of STA 2010 recently.

Mohamed Shahabar who served as controller between 2010 and 2013 to lead the Strategic Trade Secretariat established by MITI for the implementation of STA 2010, said the shipping industry also enjoys the same benefits.

He said export control was not something alien to the US and European countries as relevant laws had been enforced there since the second world war, aiming to prevent enemies and allies from obtaining their technologies, especially military technology.

With the enforcement of STA 2010, he said the legislation could 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 from Malaysia to other countries.