China Halts Locomotive Deliveries to Belarus Due to U.S. Sanctions

China has refused to deliver locomotives to Belarus due to the risks associated with sanctions, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Chinese corporation CRRC Datong Co., Ltd. has made the final decision to cancel the delivery of 15 electric locomotives to Belarus due to concerns over potential U.S. sanctions.

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Earlier, it was reported that the delivery dates had been postponed to 2025-2026, but now the shipments have been completely stopped.

The primary reason is the threat of sanctions related to the use of American and European components in these locomotives.

The project was based on the BKG2 model, developed in collaboration with French specialists. Key components such as power transformers, traction motors, converters, and control systems, many of which are produced in the U.S. and Europe, were used in the construction of the locomotives.

These elements fall under sanction restrictions, making it impossible to continue fulfilling the contract.

The Chinese side emphasized that further cooperation would only be possible after changes in the international situation.

In its statement, CRRC Datong proposed resuming the project when the sanctions situation stabilizes.

Thus, financial issues are not the primary reason for the deal’s collapse. Sanctions risks from Western countries played the decisive role.

In June of this year, it became known that the initial problem with deliveries arose not due to financial difficulties, but because of direct dependence on Western technologies.

European and American manufacturers provide a significant portion of the equipment used in the locomotives, which raised concerns for the Chinese company. This specifically pertains to monitoring and diagnostics systems, as well as traffic control equipment.

The sanctions situation continues to have a serious impact on trade relations between countries, particularly in technological sectors where dependence on foreign components becomes a determining factor for the implementation of large contracts.

Photo: sledstvie.info

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