The aim of the NSG Guidelines is to ensure that nuclear trade for peaceful purposes does not contribute to the proliferation of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, and that international trade and cooperation in the nuclear field is not hindered unjustly in the process. The NSG Guidelines facilitate the development of trade in this area by providing the means whereby obligations to facilitate peaceful nuclear cooperation can be implemented in a manner consistent with international nuclear non-proliferation norms.
The fundamental principles for safeguards and export controls should apply to nuclear transfers for peaceful purposes to any non-nuclear-weapon state and, in the case of controls on retransfers, to transfers to any State. In this connection, suppliers have defined the so-called trigger list. This list includes guidelines for nuclear transfers such as physical protection, safeguards, special controls on sensitive exports, special arrangements for export of enrichment facilities, controls on material usable for nuclear weapons, controls on retransfers as well as supporting activities. Annexes of the guidelines govern the export of items that are especially designed or prepared for nuclear use. These include in the first annex (Annex A) material and equipment as well as technology associated with each of the items on the trigger list.
– plants and equipment for conversion.
A further annex (Annex C) describes criteria for levels of physical protection.
With the objective of averting the proliferation of nuclear weapons and preventing acts of nuclear terrorism, suppliers have considered procedures in relation to the transfer of certain equipment, materials, software, and related technology that could make a major contribution to a "nuclear explosive activity," an "unsafeguarded nuclear fuel-cycle activity" or acts of nuclear terrorism. In this connection, suppliers have agreed on the following principles, common definitions, and an export control list of equipment, materials, software, and related technology.
- components for nuclear explosive devices.