As 2026 brings new compliance challenges and opportunities, Baker McKenzie’s Canadian international trade team is here to help you stay ahead. We are launching our annual series of insights that unpack 2025’s biggest developments and spotlight the trade issues set to define 2026, bringing the clarity needed to navigate the evolving trade landscape. This article focuses on Canada’s export controls regime. When multilateral agreement under the Wassenaar regime began to break down, Canada and its…
As 2026 brings new compliance challenges and opportunities, Baker McKenzie’s Canadian international trade team is here to help you stay ahead. We are launching our annual series of insights that unpack 2025’s biggest developments and spotlight the trade issues set to define 2026, bringing the clarity needed to navigate the evolving trade landscape. This article focuses on Canada’s sanctions regime. 2025 represented another year of operational growth for Canada’s sanctions regulator – Global Affairs Canada’s…
On 24 February 2026, marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine, Canada announced a further significant expansion of its sanctions regime under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations (Regulations), effective February 19, 2026. The measures form part of Canada’s continuing effort to constrain Russia’s military operations. Expansion of Designations The amendments list multiple individuals to Part 1 of Schedule 1, including persons linked to: Russia’s financial and procurement networks; entities supporting military…
On February 18, 2026, the Government of Canada announced amendments to the Special Economic Measures (Syria) Regulations (“the Regulations”). These amendments lift broad economic prohibitions linked to the former Assad regime that had been in place since May 2011, easing restrictions on trade, investment, and the provision of financial and other services, including telecommunications monitoring and petroleum‑related transactions. The amendments also remove 24 entities and one individual from Schedule I of the Regulations to reduce…