In two separate cases, between August 2012 and the spring of 2013, US undercover
agents captured Chinese nationals in the act of attempting unlicensed exports of samples
of military-grade carbon fiber from the US to confederates in China. In both cases, the
Chinese men:
• tried to purchase multiple tons of the super-hard, heat resistant materials
manufactured by Toray Composites of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based
Toray Industries, Inc.;
• first encountered the US agents on internet sites devoted to the brokering,
purchase and sale of controlled commodities, on which the agents maintained
“cover cyber-presences”;
• knew – because they were told by the undercover agents – that the materials they
sought could not be exported without Department of Commerce licenses; and
• traveled to the US to deal directly with the US agents, conveniently allowing
themselves to be arrested before they could return to China.
What do these cases suggest?
• Composite materials manufactured by Toray are (i) highly prized by Chinese
aerospace companies, but (ii) apparently unavailable from Toray Japan – so
Japanese export controls appear to be working, at least where carbon fiber is
concerned.
• US agents are trolling internet marketing sites for suspicious purchasing activities
and using sophisticated technology on their fishing trips – indeed, the agents’
interest in one of the Chinese buyers was piqued when a review of internet
protocol log-in information revealed that the buyer was communicating from
China.
• The ancient wisdom of China’s I Ching to the contrary, persistence does not
always further: Both of the Chinese men became directly involved with US
agents only after being told that their wonted products could not be exported
without a license, apparently believing that they could talk their way around the
law.
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