UK export control enforcement record ‘nothing to shout about’

The UK Export Control Joint Unit has revealed the four compound settlements offers HMRC issued to four UK exporters in November and December 2022.

Partner Andrew Smith has shared his views on the UK export control enforcement record in the March print edition of World ECR.

“[The figures] may sound impressive, but unless the government discloses details about the countries where the exporters were doing business, or the nature of the goods themselves, simply listing the headline numbers is of little practical use for companies seeking to remain compliant. Compound penalties are fine and good as a revenueraising exercise, but a real step-change in enforcement would involve greater numbers of prosecutions for breaches of export controls – and in that respect, the UK’s record is nothing to shout about.”