On Monday 11 December 2023, the UK Government updated its Notice to Importers (see here), published a new General Trade Licence (see here) and updated its guidance (see here) in relation to the UK’s iron and steel sanctions targeting Russia. As noted in our previous blog in April 2023, the UK introduced sanctions imposing a prohibition on the import of iron and steel products where the metal originated in Russia but was processed in a…
On October 31, 2023, the US, UK, and Canadian governments imposed further coordinated sanctions against Myanmar (Burma) through designations of individuals and entities associated with Myanmar’s military regime and a US prohibition on the provision of financial services to Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (“MOGE”). The measures aim to prevent the Burmese military from obtaining access to arms and other supplies and are part of an effort to unify sanctions measures on Myanmar across the…
The UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (“OFSI”) has published updated guidance (the “Russia Sanctions Guidance”) on the implementation of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (“UK Russia Regulations”), including a new FAQ addressing circumstances where a UK financial institution receives funds indirectly from or via a designated bank. In parallel with this update to its Russia Sanctions Guidance, OFSI has also published a new General Licence relating to Correspondent Banking Payments (INT/2023/3566356). Updated…
The UK, France and Germany (the European signatories to the Joint Collective Plan of Action (“JCPOA”) nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, referred to as the “E3”) have decided to retain certain sanctions previously imposed upon Iran. The press release published by the E3 announcing this decision is available here. The JCPOA was agreed in 2015 between the E3/EU+3 (China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, with the EU’s…