TOKYO: As Washington pushes arms and ammunition to Ukraine for a counteroffensive against Russian forces, the US is looking to secure supplies of TNT in Japan for 155mm artillery rounds, according to two individuals familiar with the situation who spoke to Reuters.
Any purchase would put Japan, which abhors war, to the test as to whether or not it would be ready to risk controversy to assist Kyiv since export regulations forbid Japanese corporations from exporting deadly goods overseas, such as the howitzer rounds that Ukraine fires every day at Russian forces occupying its southeastern territories.
Despite this, the allies seem to have discovered a solution to allow the selling of TNT despite the global munitions scarcity.
According to one of the persons with knowledge of the negotiations in Japan, “there is a way for the United States to buy explosives from Japan,” they told Reuters under the condition of anonymity due to the subject’s sensitivity.
The US can purchase Panasonic Toughbook computers for the military because export regulations for dual-use goods or equipment that is marketed commercially are less tight than those for goods with an exclusively military purpose.
Tokyo, which this week received US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, has informed the US government that it will permit the sale of industrial TNT since the explosive is not a commodity that is solely for use by the military, according to the second source.
To get explosives to U.S. army-owned munitions companies that would pack them into 155mm shell casings, the US intends to connect a Japanese firm to a TNT supply chain, the source continued.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Economy of Japan declined to confirm if any Japanese businesses had contacted them regarding the shipment of TNT. It also said in an email that products not covered by military limitations will be evaluated per standard export regulations that consider the buyer’s intentions, including whether their usage would compromise global security.
The Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency of the Japanese Defence Ministry declined to comment.
The U.S. State Department said it was working with friends and partners “to provide Ukraine with the support it needs” to protect itself but did not explicitly respond to queries from Reuters about whether Washington intended to purchase TNT in Japan. Japan “has demonstrated leadership in supporting Ukraine’s defence,” the statement continued.
