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Pentagon sets ban on tantalum purchase in Russia, Iran, China and North Korea

New rules were introduced in accordance with provisions of the US defense budget of 2020, which contained the ban on tantalum purchases in Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea

WASHINGTON, August 24. /TASS/. The US Department of Defense set the ban on procurement of tantalum in Russia, Iran, China and North Korea by the department and its contractors. The relevant notice was posted on Wednesday in the Federal Register.

With some exceptions, the new regulation "prohibits the acquisition of any covered material melted or produced in any covered country (North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran), or any end item, manufactured in any covered country, that contains a covered material," the document reads.

"It is a matter of national security to reduce U.S. dependence on the covered countries specified in <…>, because tantalum is an important element in the supply chain for the production of both DoD military systems and nonmilitary systems that DoD uses," according to the notice.

New rules were introduced in accordance with provisions of the US defense budget of 2020, which contained the ban on tantalum purchases in Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea. Rules will come into force from August 25.