On February 20, 2024, Canada enacted new sanctions regulations under the Special Economic Measures Act in response to gross and systematic human rights violations and corruption in Guatemala. The Special Economic Measures (Guatemala) Regulations (the “Regulations”) designate four individuals and entered into force on February 16, 2024. The individuals listed in the Schedule to the Regulations are public officials that are alleged to have committed gross human rights violations, engaged in activities that directly or…
Baker McKenzie’s Canadian international trade and customs team is publishing a series of articles reviewing 2023 trade and customs compliance developments and looking ahead to 2024’s burgeoning issues. This article focuses on Canada’s export controls regime. In 2023, we saw enhanced scrutiny at the border, with an uptick in Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) verifications on the control status of exported goods and legislative developments to bring Canada’s export controls regime up to date with…
Baker McKenzie’s Canadian international trade and customs team is publishing a series of articles reviewing 2023 trade and customs compliance developments and looking ahead to 2024’s burgeoning issues. This article focuses on Canada’s economic sanctions regime. Canada’s sanctions regime underwent significant legislative amendments in 2023, which expanded the Government’s authority to prohibit certain dealings; meanwhile the Government has yet to publish guidance on its novel legislative provisions, sanctions permit approvals are rare, and there remain…
On February 6, 2024, Canada announced that 11 individuals affiliated with Hamas are sanctioned under the newly enacted Special Economic Measures (Hamas Terrorist Attacks) Regulations (the “Regulations”) in response to the attacks by Hamas in Israel beginning October 7, 2023 and the threat that Hamas and its affiliates pose to Israel and regional security. The sanctions entered into force on February 2, 2024 and are effective immediately. This is the first time Canada has enacted…