2007 - Review Of Export Control Legislation

The Export Control Act 2002 heralded the start of a far-reaching overhaul of the United Kingdom’s legislative framework for dealing with export controls; a process which continued over the next 3 years with the introduction of further secondary legislation.

Combined, these pieces of legislation introduced tighter controls, and a more cohesive approach to a variety of areas. Whilst many of the new measures related to trading in military list goods, there were areas of impact for the wider business community, affecting international businesses, researchers and those trading in possible dual-use goods and controlled goods. Dual use refers to civil goods and processes that may be put to a military application. These restrictions are non-industry specific but may be of relevance to industries, such as the oil industry, which may trade in or use (among other things), explosives and radio-active tools.