Tag Archives: UK

COVID-19 Coronavirus – UK Competition Law: May The Force Be With You?

This blog post is being published for The Trade Practitioner as part of a content partnership with our Competition – Antitrust Practice. Please contact Dickie Chan and Nicola Elam with any questions. Today, the UK government announced that “supermarkets [are] to join forces to feed the nation” as the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak continues to surge. Competition … Continue Reading

Coronavirus and Trade – US and EU Travel Bans

On March 11, 2020, President Trump announced via a nationally televised address that effective from 11:59 p.m. EDT, March 13, 2020, he would suspend or limit travel into the US from foreign nationals who have recently been in certain European countries in an effort to curtail the person-to-person transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the … Continue Reading

COVID-19 Coronavirus – Hit Pause to Competition Law?

This blog post is being published for The Trade Practitioner as part of a content partnership with our Competition – Antitrust Practice. Please contact Nicola Elam and Dickie Chan with any questions. Beyond relaxing night-time delivery restrictions on supermarkets to keep up with the surge in demand for basic grocery items, it has been reported … Continue Reading

Off to a Bumpy Start – UK Trade Negotiations With the EU and US

This blog post is being published for The Trade Practitioner as part of a content partnership with our Brexit Legal blog. Please contact Matthew Kirk with any questions. In the last week of February 2020 – amid some chest-beating ferocity on both sides – the EU and UK published their respective negotiating mandates for the … Continue Reading

UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) Updates Financial Sanctions

OFSI, part of the HM Treasury, working toward ensuring that financial sanctions are properly implemented and enforced in the UK, has updated numerous financial sanctions that are currently in force. The recent updates are for financial sanctions in the following regions and industries: ISIL/Da’esh and Al-Qaida Organizations Nicaragua Venezuela Central African Republic Ukraine – Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity Syria Libya … Continue Reading

UK Suspends Arms Exports to Turkey

The UK has reportedly suspended the granting of arms export licenses for Turkey in relation to weapons that could potentially be used for military operations in Syria. The suspension follows British ministers ordering a full review into Turkish arms licenses. Liz Truss, the UK’s International Trade Secretary, commented that the International Trade Department “will take into account any developments in the … Continue Reading

UK Government Imposes New Control on Exports to Russia

On August 14, 2019, the UK government introduced a new control on the export of submersible vessels and related equipment, software and technology to Russia. The new control has been introduced due to Russia’s development of capabilities enabling it to track, access and disrupt undersea communication cables. The UK government considers these developments as a risk to national security. Assessment of … Continue Reading

Court of Appeal Rules UK Government Acted Unlawfully in Sale of Arms to Saudi Arabia

On June 20, 2019, the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment allowing Campaign Against Arms Trade’s (CAAT) appeal of the High Court’s decision. The claim brought by CAAT was for a judicial review of export licensing decisions made by the Secretary of State for International Trade in relation to military exports to Saudi Arabia, which could potentially be … Continue Reading

UK Export Control Unit (ECJU) Amends Export Control Order 2008

The ECJU has amended the Export Control Order 2008 through the implementation of Directive (EU) 2019/514. The Export Control (Amendment) Order 2019, which came into force on June 30, 2019, amends the list of defense-related products. The changes correspond to updates made to the European Military List. In addition, updates were made to remove Eritrea from the list of countries embargoed … Continue Reading

UK Government Releases Custom Duty Rates in the Event of Hard Brexit

The UK government has published the proposed customs duty rates that will apply to imported merchandise entering the UK from third countries after the country has left the European Union (EU) under a so-called no-deal scenario. Unless recent political developments require the UK government to extend that deadline, it has been indicated that the UK … Continue Reading

Prime Minister May Resigns – Another Twist in the Brexit Saga: What Does This Mean for Trade?

By now, avid watchers can agree that Prime Minister May’s resignation will further complicate the already-complex Brexit landscape. Her tenure in office had been looking increasingly challenged for some time. The immediate trigger for her resignation was her final attempt to get her Brexit deal done, which included the offer of the possibility of a … Continue Reading

Get Your Business Ready for Brexit

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

UK Provides Guidance on Exporting Controlled Goods if There is No Brexit Deal

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

ECJU Amends Export Control Order 2008 and Publishes Firearms Export Guidance

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

OFSI Updates Financial Sanctions

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
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