(S) GOS RELEASES PRECISION LATHES TO SHIPPER

S E C R E T SINGAPORE 000224 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS ISN/CPI FOR MARK FELIPE E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2017 TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL MNUC ETTC SN KN MY SUBJECT: (S) GOS RELEASES PRECISION LATHES TO SHIPPER REF: A. SINGAPORE 23 ¶B. 06 STATE 204021 ¶C. 06 SINGAPORE 3849 Classified By: E/P Counselor Ike Reed for reasons 1.4(c) and (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 5. ¶2. (S/NF) Post was informed at approximately 1:00 pm on January 31 that the GOS had released to the original shipping company (Evergreen) two containers detained at USG request on or around December 16, 2006 (ref C). The containers were due to depart Singapore at 2:00 pm January 31 bound for the Starship Agency in Port Klang, Malaysia. ¶3. (S/NF) The containers were believed to hold precision lathes shipped by the Taiwan-based firm Trans Merits to the Rangoon office of North Korea's Korea Mining Development Corporation (KOMID) (ref b). Although it was uncertain whether these lathes were controlled under any multilateral export control regime, the GOS agreed in December to detain them pending further investigation. The GOS conveyed a request for additional information regarding the lathes' tolerances via separate channels in early January (ref A). It appears that, based on the response, Singapore Customs did not believe it had a legal basis for continued detention of the shipment. ¶4. (S/NF) E/P Counselor contacted MFA's Michelle Teo-Jacob Deputy Director, International Organizations, to confirm the information and ask that the GOS delay the shipment's departure until Washington could respond to Singapore's decision. Teo-Jacob said she did not know the status of the shipment but would contact the appropriate officials and call us as soon as she could track down the information. As of close of business, Teo-Jacob had not contacted us again. ¶5. (S/NF) Action request: Post requests that Washington immediately supply any information that would support Singapore's continued detention of the lathes in the event that the shipment has not yet departed. HERBOLD