UK industry still selling to Russia, 31 July 2023

British manufacturers have continued to supply Russia with key industrial equipment despite the invasion of Ukraine, analysis of trade data shows.

After the full scale invasion was launched in February last year, many of Britain's industrial manufacturers quickly wound down their business relationships with Russia. The government introduced what it described as "sweeping" restrictions...

Despite government claims that these restrictions are the "most severe economic sanctions ever imposed on a major economy", trade data acquired by The Times and the investigative group Data Desk shows UK companies have still been permitted to export equipment important for Russia's fossil fuel and mining industries.

Hill & Smith...has consistently assured its investors that it has minimal exposure to Russia...Export data shows, however, that one of company's Indian subsidiaries, Bergen Pipe Supports (India) Private Limited, has been continuing to supply pipe supports - equipment used to hold up gas pipelines - to the Russian company Arctic LNG 2 LLC. This made up a significant part of the subsidiary's export trade since the full-scale invasion, import and export data shows...

Other companies based in the UK also appear to be providing equipment to Russia that could support its key extractive industries.

Dunlop Oil & Marine...is owned by Continental. According to export data, Dunlop has been supplying rubber oil hoses to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium...

Another supplier highlighted by the data is Ion Science...According to export data, the company has been shipping "electronic devices for use in the metallurgical industry" to Russia, via Malta.

A spokesman for Coninental said that as of May this year it has divested the majority of its activities in Russia, but in one case the manufacturer had to fulfil an existing customer contract that at the time of its fulfilment complied with all applicable sanctions and legal provisions. It added that the company is not currently exporting any of its products to customers in Russia nor importing products from Russia.

A spokesman for Hill & Smith said that it and its subsidiaries have never directly traded with Novatek or had operations of any kind in Russia, and that the group has no direct exposure to customers in Russia and negligible indirect exposure. The company did not provide an on the record comment on the trading relationship between Bergen Pipe Supports (India) Private Limited and Arctic LNG 2.

Ion Science was approached for comment...