ECJU removes Afghanistan as destination for open general export licences

Following recent events in Afghanistan, on 18 August 2021 the ECJU announced that open general export licences in five categories, including dual-use items, may no longer be used where the permitted destination is Afghanistan. These are:

1. OGEL (export after exhibition: dual-use items)
2. OGEL (export for repair/replacement under warranty: dual-use items) from December 2019
3. OGEL (export for repair/replacement under warranty: dual-use items)
4. OGEL (X) – from December 2019
5. OGEL (X)

Any export of military or dual-use items to Afghanistan will now require a standard individual export licence, which only allows for export by the specified exporter of a stated quantity or specified items to a named consignee or end-user. This is in contrast to the broader terms of an open general export licence, whereby controlled items could be exported to an approved destination as long as the terms and conditions of the licence were complied with.