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

Published 23 October 2026

Introduction

This notice provides advance information on proposed amendments to the UK’s strategic export control framework.

Subject to ministerial and Parliamentary approval, regulations are expected to be laid before Parliament in November 2026 and expected to come into force in early December 2026. The proposed amendments would update the UK’s strategic export control framework.

The regulations and accompanying explanatory memorandum will be published on legislation.gov.uk in due course.

Proposed updates to UK strategic export controls

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

The proposed amendments would 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 are intended to 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

Revocation of General Export Authorisation No 001

The regulations are also intended to 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General Export Authorisation No 001 (‘GEA001’) from Annex IIa to the assimilated Dual-Use Regulation, as it has been superseded in Great Britain by the Dual-Use Open General Export Licence. If the regulations are made as proposed:

• exporters registered to use GEA001 when the regulations come into force would be able to continue to use it until 1 April 2027
• the change would apply in Great Britain only
• EU GEA001 would continue to apply to exports from Northern Ireland under the applicable EU dual-use framework

Further information will be published in due course.

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