UK Statutory Instrument 2008 United Kingdom

Export Control Order 2008

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At a glance

Enforced by

ECJU

What's here

40 compliance obligations, 7 practical guides across 3 topics · 5 journeys

Penalty landscape

16 of 40 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 22 carry different penalties and 2 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Who this Act binds

Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.

  • Any Person 32
  • Responsible Person 2
  • Trader 2
  • Applicant 1

Plus 3 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.

Step-by-step journeys using this legislation

Walkthroughs that take you from a real business situation to compliance.

Relevant guidance

Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.

Direct — cites this Act

3 guides

Supporting — topic alignment

3 guides

Mentioned in related content

1 guides

Other Acts binding the same actors

For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.

Any Person also bound by 2338 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Responsible Persons also bound by 104 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Traders also bound by 826 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Applicants also bound by 294 other Acts (top 5 shown)

What this Act requires

Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.

Part 1 — INTRODUCTORY

Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.crown application

Crown application

Part 2 — EXPORT AND TRANSFER CONTROLS

s.003

Military goods, etc.

Unlimited fine
  • Do not export military goods or technology without a license Any Person
s.art004

Movement of certain medicinal products to the United States of America

Unlimited fine
  • Do not export specific medicinal products to the United States Any Person
s.art009

General prohibition

Unlimited fine
  • Do not export goods that are subject to export controls Any Person
s.art012

Military end-use control supplementing the dual-use Regulation

12 months imprisonment
  • Do not export dual-use items to restricted military entities if notified Responsible Person
Browse 12 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.exception for historic military vehicles

Exception for historic military vehicles

s.exceptions to military end-use control supplementi

Exceptions to military end-use control supplementing the dual-use Regulation

s.movement of libyan bank notes and coins

Movement of Libyan bank notes and coins

Part 3 — TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CONTROLS

Part 4 — TRADE CONTROLS

s.020

Embargoed destinations

Unlimited fine
  • Do not trade controlled goods between third countries and embargoed nations Any Person
s.021

Category A goods

Unlimited fine
  • Do not trade 'Category A' goods between third countries without a licence Any Person
s.022

Category B goods

Unlimited fine
  • Do not trade 'Category B' goods between third countries without a licence Any Person
s.023

Category C goods

Unlimited fine
  • Do not trade Category C goods between third countries without a licence Any Person
Browse 2 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement

Part 5 — LICENCES, ETC.

s.031

Inspection of records

Unlimited fine
  • Allow inspection and copying of export records Responsible Person
s.033

Licence refusals, etc. and appeals

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must provide written reasons for licence decisions Crown / Minister / Government department
Browse 6 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.certificates (european military items)

Certificates (European military items)

s.certificates: refusals, etc. and appeals

Certificates: refusals, etc. and appeals

Part 6 — OFFENCES, ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES

s.art036

Further offences relating to the prohibitions etc. in the torture Regulation

2 years imprisonment
  • Breach of torture regulation prohibitions (transit, brokering, training, trade fairs, advertising, authorisation) Any Person
Browse 1 other section in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement

Part 6A — Provisions relating to the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in the EU withdrawal agreement

s.art042

Record-keeping requirement: EU-listed military item supplier

Unlimited fine
  • Keep detailed records of military items exported from NI to the EU Trader
s.art042

Offence to contravene article 42B

10 years imprisonment
  • Fail to comply with export licence conditions (article 42B) Any Person
s.art042

Applying for certificate

Unlimited fine
  • Provide necessary information when applying for an export certificate Applicant
s.art042

Establishing reliability of Northern Ireland recipient undertaking

Unlimited fine
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must assess reliability of Northern Ireland military exporters Crown / Minister / Government department
s.art042

Offence relating to misleading application for certificate

10 years imprisonment
  • Make a misleading application for an export certificate Any Person
s.art042

Offence to contravene article 42L

10 years imprisonment
  • Export or transfer prohibited goods under article 42L Any Person
s.art042

Authorisation requirement: Article 11(1) of the EU dual-use Regulation

2 years imprisonment
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State may grant export licences for dual-use items Crown / Minister / Government department
s.art042

Record-keeping requirement: Article 27(4) of the EU dual-use Regulation

Unlimited fine
  • Keep registers and records for dual-use item exports Any Person
s.art042

Offences relating to prohibitions and restrictions in the EU dual-use Regulation

Fine up to £1,000
  • Contravene listed goods or end‑use controls (EU dual‑use) Any Person
s.art042

Export control in relation to Northern Ireland: leg irons, gang chains, and portable electric shock devices

10 years imprisonment
  • Obtain a licence to export electric shock or restraint goods from NI to the EU Any Person
s.art042

Offence to contravene article 42S

10 years imprisonment
  • Export prohibited items in breach of article 42S Any Person
Browse 10 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.appeal of secretary of state decision

Appeal of Secretary of State decision

s.exception in relation to northern ireland: categor

Exception in relation to Northern Ireland: category A and C goods

s.exception in relation to northern ireland: eu good

Exception in relation to Northern Ireland: EU goods in transit

s.exception in relation to northern ireland: europea

Exception in relation to Northern Ireland: European firearms pass holders

s.exceptions in relation to northern ireland: dual-u

Exceptions in relation to Northern Ireland: dual-use goods, software, and technology

s.export and transfer control in relation to norther

Export and transfer control in relation to Northern Ireland: dual-use goods, software, and technology

s.interpretation

Interpretation

s.secretary of state may amend, suspend, and revoke

Secretary of State may amend, suspend, and revoke certificate

s.secretary of state may certify northern ireland re

Secretary of State may certify Northern Ireland recipient undertaking

s.secretary of state may grant certificate

Secretary of State may grant certificate

Part 7 — GENERAL

Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement

Schedules

Browse 18 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
s.sch001

Accessories and ammunition for small arms and light weapons within ML1 and ML2

s.sch001

Non-military Firearms

s.sch001

Light weapons within ML4

s.sch001

Ammunition for light weapons within ML4

s.sch001

Hand grenades

s.sch001

MANPADS, missiles for them, associated equipment and their specially designed components

s.sch001

Long-range missiles

s.sch001

Anti-vehicle landmines

s.sch001

Components for “goods” within this Part

s.sch001

Battle tanks and armoured combat vehicles within ML6

s.sch001

Large-calibre artillery systems within ML2 and ML4

s.sch001

Combat aircraft and attack helicopters within ML10

s.sch001

Warships within ML9

s.sch001

Other missiles and missile launchers

s.sch001

Small arms and light weapons within ML1 and ML2

s.sch005

In this Schedule— “business or academic collaborator”, in relation to...

s.sch005

The information security items specified in this Schedule are the...

s.sch005

The information specified in this Schedule is—

Other sections — not classified into a Part

These sections sit outside the numbered Parts — usually provisions added or moved by later amendments.

Browse 1 other section
s.para.78

Definitions

Read the full Act on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Official guidance

Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.

Enforcement and responsible bodies

The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.

ECJU

Export Control Joint Unit

Administers the UK export licensing system for military and dual-use goods, software, and technology. Part of the Department for Business and Trade. …

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Browse legislation

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Regulators

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