The European Commission says SCT Chemicals FZE is materially supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex. The Dubai-based company has been deemed “responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”
The commission maintains an expanding sanctions list of individuals and entities it says have aided Russia’s occupation of Ukraine since the 2022 invasion. Those listed face restrictions on trade and financial dealings across EU member states, which are tasked with implementing the restrictions.
In SCT Chemicals’ case, the commission says the company “produces an additive package specifically designed for formulating monograde oils used in diesel engines produced by the Russian plant Kolomensky,” which the EU has designated as part of Russia’s military industry. Kolomensky manufactures diesel engines for Russian naval vessels deployed in the war against Ukraine, the commission says.
“SCT Vertriebs GmbH, which distributes products under the Mannol brand, among others, takes the listing of SCT Chemicals FZE on the EU sanctions list very seriously,” a spokesperson for SCT Vertriebs told Lube Report. “The matter is currently under thorough internal review. Based on the information available to us at this time, we, SCT Vertriebs GmbH, believe that we are not implicated in the allegations that have been made.
SCT Chemicals owns the trademark of Mannol, a lubricant brand widely sold across Europe. The is a subsidiary of SCT Vertriebs GmbH, a German maker and distributor of automotive parts, lubricants and car care products.
At the start of the year, the EU ramped up sanctions against third-country entities aiding Russia, including in the United Arab Emirates.
“The reasons for listing these persons are public and were included in the Annex to the legal acts,“ Anitta Hipper, EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, told Lube Report.
In order for people or entities to be sanctioned by the EU, there needs to be enough evidence and unanimous agreement among member states, Hipper explained.
(This article was updated on May 4 to include comment from SCT Verteibs GmbH