The UK has introduced a sanctions regime designed to target criminal actors, gangs and their financiers whose actions are causing instability in Haiti, pursuant to The Haiti (Sanctions) Regulations 2022, which enter into force on 28 December 2022. The restrictive measures consist of: financial sanctions measures through a targeted asset freeze on designated persons and prohibitions on making funds or economic resources available; trade sanctions, including restrictions on the trade in military goods and military…
On 9 September the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (“PRA”) published a letter to bank CEOs with the purpose of reiterating expectations of firms when undertaking trade finance activities. The Dear CEO letter addressed both conduct and prudential issues where the regulators consider that improvements are required in firms’ controls. The regulators stressed that “firms need to demonstrate that they have taken a risk sensitive approach to their control environment that…
On 21 June 2021, the EU and UK announced coordinated sanctions against specified Belarusian individuals and entities. This follows the forced landing of a commercial aircraft in Belarus and subsequent detention of a Belarusian journalist, and suggests that the UK is continuing to align its sanctions regime with key allies following Brexit. The sanctions were further coordinated with the US and Canada. The designated parties will be subject to asset freezes, whilst individuals will be…
This quarterly publication includes a variety of legal and market focused articles on current topics of interest in the world of trade finance. In this edition, we feature an article that examines the implications of the EU-UK Trade Co-Operation Agreement for businesses engaged in international trade and related financing; an article that looks at the scope of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative and its potential implications for finance documentation and the future of sovereign debt;…