Notice

Notice to exporters 2026/24: amendments to UK strategic export controls  

Updated 11 November 2026

Introduction

The Export Control Joint Unit has laid regulations before Parliament to amend the UK’s strategic export control framework.

The Export Control (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/1150) were laid before Parliament on 3 November 2026 and due to come into force on 1 December 2026, subject to parliamentary procedure.

The regulations include updates to strategic export control lists, country listings in Schedule 4 of the Export Control Order 2008 and the treatment of General Export Authorisation No 001 (GEA001).

Updates to UK strategic export controls

The regulations amend:

• The Export Control Order 2008 (“the 2008 Order”)
• Council Regulation (EC) No 428/2009 of 5 May 2009 setting up a Community regime for the control of exports, transfer, brokering and transit of dual-use items (Recast) (“the assimilated Dual-Use Regulation”)

Updates to strategic export control lists

The regulations update Schedule 2 to the 2008 Order and Annex I to the assimilated Dual-Use Regulation.

The amendments update controls on military and dual-use goods, software and technology to reflect:

• changes agreed through the 2025 reviews of the multilateral export control regimes, including the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Australia Group
• updates to controls on certain advanced and emerging technologies, including semiconductor manufacturing equipment, advanced computing technologies and specialised materials, as part of the UK’s wider international commitments to strengthen export controls for national security purposes

Schedule 4 country listings

The regulations update Schedule 4 to the 2008 Order to reflect changes to the corresponding UK sanctions regimes.

The proposed amendments would move:

• Haiti from Part 3 to Part 2 of Schedule 4
• the Central African Republic from Part 2 to Part 3 of Schedule 4

These changes narrow the scope of controls applying to the Central African Republic and broaden the scope of controls applying to Haiti, reflecting the current scope of the relevant arms embargoes under the UK sanctions regimes.

Export licence applications will continue to be assessed against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.

Revocation of General Export Authorisation No 001

The regulations revoke the General Export Authorisation No 001 (GEA001) from Annex IIa to the assimilated Dual-Use Regulation, as it has been superseded in Great Britain by the open general export licence (export of dual-use items). If the regulations are made as proposed:

• exporters registered to use GEA001 on 1 December 2026, may continue to use it until 1 April 2027
• the change applies in Great Britain only
• EU GEA001 continues to apply to exports from Northern Ireland under the applicable EU dual-use framework

Existing GEA001 users should review the conditions and scope of the open general export licence (export of dual-use items) and take the necessary action to move to it before the transitional period ends on 1 April 2027.

Plans to revoke Open general export licence (export of dual-use items to EU member states)

ECJU will also revoke the open general export licence (export of dual-use items to EU member states), as it has been superseded by the open general export licence (export of dual-use items).

Similar transitional arrangements will now apply; users may continue using the EU member states OGEL until 1 April 2027. Exporters should review the conditions and scope of the Dual-Use items Open General Export Licence and register to use it before the transitional period ends on 1 April 2027.

Contact Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU)

General queries about strategic export licensing:

Export Control Joint Unit
Department for Business and Trade
Old Admiralty Building
Admiralty Place
London SW1A 2DY

Email exportcontrol.help@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7215 4594