UPDATE: On March 5, 2019, the Council of the EU approved the Regulation establishing a framework for screening of foreign direct investments into the EU. As further explained below, the Regulation facilitates enhanced cooperation and exchange of information between EU member states and the European Commission. The Regulation could affect businesses and investors, as well as their interactions with government entities at … Continue Reading
After the UK government overwhelmingly rejected Prime Minister May’s Withdrawal Agreement in January, the Prime Minister is back to negotiations with the EU in an attempt to hammer out a Brexit deal favorable for Britain before the 29 March deadline. … Continue Reading
UPDATE: The UK Export Control Joint Unit issued a general license authorizing export of dual-use goods from the UK to the EU in case of hard Brexit. The licence will enter into force on March 29, 2019 at 11 p.m. UK time. … Continue Reading
With continuing uncertainty, there is still a lack of clarity on what the final Brexit arrangements between the UK and the EU will look like. Many companies have been planning for the implications of Brexit for some time, and some still need to consider how Brexit may affect their operations. Both the UK government and … Continue Reading
Status: Clearance Acquirer: Dürr AG (Germany) Acquired: MEGTEC and Universal businesses of Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (US) Value: US$131 Million Industry: Industrial Products and Services… Continue Reading
The Department for International Trade has produced guidance, published on August 23, 2018, informing stakeholders how export controls would be affected if the UK leaves the EU with no deal. The notice explains how export licensing requirements for different groups of items would change and what the UK government proposed to simplify licensing. The export of many controlled items within … Continue Reading
The export control joint unit (ECJU) has amended the Export Control Order 2008 with effect from September 14, 2018. The new Order extends the controls on firearms to include devices capable of being converted to firearms. The ECJU has also updated the consolidated control list of strategic military and dual-use items that require export authorization. The additional devices include the … Continue Reading
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), which is part of HM Treasury and works to ensure that financial sanctions are properly implemented and enforced in the UK, has updated a number of financial sanctions currently in force. The recent updates are as follows: Financial sanctions, Libya; Financial sanctions, Ukraine (Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity); Financial sanctions, North Korea (Democratic People’s … Continue Reading
George Grammas, Co-Chair of our International Trade/Global Import and Export Compliance Practice, will present on US export controls topics at the upcoming Manchester Export Symposium hosted by the UK Government Department for International Trade on November 6 in Manchester, UK. The symposium will include plenary session and workshops, and provide attendees with networking opportunity with … Continue Reading
An unnamed UK company has recently been fined £109,312.50 for making unlicensed exports of military goods controlled by the Export Control Order 2008. The fine was issued by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which is responsible for enforcing UK export control legislation in collaboration with the Crown Prosecution Service. The fine is an example of HMRC using its powers … Continue Reading
On 11 April 2018, the Export Council Joint Unit (ECJU) published a new Open General Export Licence (OGEL) applicable to information security items. The purpose of this OGEL is to allow the export of “low risk” information security items deploying encryption to a wide range of destinations.… Continue Reading
The UK has issued guidance to assist exporters to make their own assessment on the application of the “Cryptography Note” – Note 3 to Category 5 Part 2, Information Security as it appears in Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No. 428/2009 (as last amended by Regulation (EU) No. 2268/2017). Products that use cryptography are usually controlled under the … Continue Reading
On 5 March 2018, the Export Council Joint Unit (ECJU) of the UK Department for International Trade updated the Consolidated Control List of Strategic Military and Dual-use Items that Require Export Authorisation. The updated list notably takes into account changes made to Schedule 2 of the Export Control Order 2008, which lists the military goods, software and technology subject to … Continue Reading
The UK Trade Bill continued to be debated in the House of Commons with a second reading taking place on 9 January 2018. One of the main contributions of the bill is the establishment of the UK Trade Remedies Authority, an institution responsible for investigations into trade remedies, a responsibility currently assigned to the European … Continue Reading
On 6 December 2017, the Venezuela (European Union Financial Sanctions) Regulations 2017 entered into force in the UK. This regulation implements Council Regulation (EU) 2017/2063 of 13 November 2017 and provides for the imposition of restrictive measures on persons or entities considered to be involved in undermining democratic principles and the rule of law, as … Continue Reading
On 29 January 2018, the ECJU published a guidance on the MOD Form 680 allowing firms to apply for permission to release information about classified goods and services to foreign nations. According to this guidance, the outcome of a MOD Form 680 request depends on various factors, including the complexity of the project, protective opportunities … Continue Reading
