Sharon Squassoni: Frequently Asked Questions about India, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and Next Steps
On September 6, 2008, the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group decided by consensus to allow nuclear trade with India.[1] Such trade had been prohibited since 1992, when the NSG adopted a requirement for full-scope safeguards for trade with non-nuclear weapon states. This effectively cut off cooperation for India, Pakistan and Israel. The United States has sought an NSG exemption because it has been a prerequisite for its own nuclear cooperation deal with India, which the U.S. has pursued since July 2005. In December 2006, Congress passed the Hyde Act (PL 109-401), which allowed the U.S. to waive certain restrictions in its laws. But the Hyde Act required, among other things, that the NSG decide first to allow trade with India. The major question has been whether the NSG would condition its approval. Some of the conditions reportedly included whether it would ask India to sign the CTBT or stop producing fissile materials for nuclear weapons, or whether it would require all supply to terminate if India tested another nuclear weapon, or whether it would prohibit transfers to India of sensitive nuclear technology – uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing. The decision, on its face, is a clean exemption, but countries’ understandings may be more nuanced. Below are some frequently asked questions about the NSG decision and next steps.