Notice

General Trade Licence for sanctioned iron and steel

Updated 26 February 2024

Licence number: GBSAN0001

1. The Secretary of State grants this General Trade Licence under regulation 65 of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the “Russia Regulations”).

2. The prohibitions in regulations 46D, 46G, 46H and 46I of Chapter 4C (iron and steel products) or regulations 46IB to 46IE of Chapter 4CA (iron and steel products processed in a third country) of the Russia Regulations do not apply to anything done that is authorised under this Licence.

Interpretation

3. For the purposes of this Licence:

a) a good “falls within” a commodity code if it is, or would be, classified under that commodity code, as set out in the Goods Classification Table;

b) “commodity code” includes a code denoting a heading or sub-heading, as set out in the Goods Classification Table;

c) section 3 of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (obligation to declare goods for a Customs procedure on import) applies for determining whether goods are in “free circulation”;

d) “Goods Classification Table” means the table so named in Annex I in Part Three of the Tariff of the United Kingdom;

e) “the Tariff of the United Kingdom” means the document containing the legal classification and import rate for products being imported into the United Kingdom, entitled “The Tariff of the United Kingdom”, as revised or re-issued from time to time, including by any document published under regulations made under section 8(1) of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 replacing the same in whole or in part;

f) “person” means an individual, a body of persons corporate or unincorporate, any organisation or any association or combination of persons;

g) “iron or steel product” means any thing specified in Schedule 3B of the Russia Regulations;

h) “relevant processed iron or steel product” means any iron or steel product specified in Part 1, 2 or 3 of Schedule 3B of the Russia Regulations which—

i) has been processed in a third country; and

ii) which incorporates one or more iron or steel products originating in Russia and specified in Part 1, 2 or 3 of Schedule 3B of the Russia Regulations;

i) for the purposes of the definition of “relevant processed iron or steel product”, an iron or steel product is processed where it is—

i) altered;

ii) transformed in any way; or

iii) subjected to any other type of operation or process;

j) “third country” means a country that is not the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or Russia.

Authorisations

For reusable packaging (pallets and similar platforms for handling goods)

4. The prohibitions specified at regulations 46D(2), 46G(1)(a)(i), 46H(1)(a)(i), 46I and 46IB to 46IE of the Russia Regulations do not apply to an iron or steel product, or to a relevant processed iron or steel product, or in relation to that product, provided that the conditions set out in paragraph 5 of this Licence are met.

5. The conditions are that the product:

a) falls within commodity code 7326904000 (pallets and similar platforms for handling goods);

b) is imported into the United Kingdom for the purpose of facilitating the international trade of other goods, whether or not filled with other goods when imported; and

c) is not consigned from Russia.

For relevant processed iron or steel products manufactured or produced before 23 June 2023

6. The prohibitions specified at regulation 46IB to 46IE of the Russia Regulations do not apply to any relevant processed iron or steel product, or in relation to that product, provided that the conditions set out in paragraph 7 of this Licence are met.

7. The conditions are that the product:

a) is a relevant processed iron or steel product;

b) was manufactured or produced before 23 June 2023; and

c) beginning with 23 June 2023, has not been located in Russia at any time.

For relevant processed iron or steel products previously in the United Kingdom

8. The prohibitions specified at regulation 46IB to 46IE of the Russia Regulations do not apply to any relevant processed iron or steel product, or in relation to any relevant processed iron or steel product, provided that the conditions set out in paragraph 9 of this Licence are met.

9. The conditions are that the product:

a) is a relevant processed iron or steel product;

b) has previously been in free circulation in the United Kingdom;

c) falls within the same commodity code as it did when it was exported from the United Kingdom; and

d) beginning with 21 April 2023, has not been located in Russia at any time.

General

10. This Licence does not authorise any act which the person carrying out the act knows, or has reasonable grounds for suspecting, will result in a breach of any part of the Russia Regulations, save as authorised under this Licence or other licences granted under the Russia Regulations.

11. Information provided to the Secretary of State in connection with this Licence shall be disclosed to third parties only in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Russia Regulations.

12. This Licence is subject to any obligation arising in respect of the Windsor Framework as it may apply through section 7A of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 in respect of Northern Ireland.

13. The provisions of regulation 76 (general trade licences: records) of the Russia Regulations apply to any act under the authority of this Licence.

14. This Licence comes into force on 11 December 2023 and is of indefinite duration.

15. Paragraphs 2 and 3(h) of this Licence were varied to reflect the changes made to Chapter 4CA of the Russia Regulations by the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2023, including to the definition of “relevant processed iron or steel product”. This variation came into force at 00:00 on 20 December 2023.

16. Paragraphs 6 and 7 of this Licence are varied to reflect changes to the relevant date before which relevant processed iron and steel products must have been manufactured and produced, and not located in Russia, in order for their import to be are authorised under this Licence. This variation came into force at 00:00 on 26 February 2024.

17. The Secretary of State has the power to vary, revoke or suspend this Licence at any time.

An Official of the Department for Business and Trade, authorised to act on behalf of the Secretary of State.

First issued on 8 December 2023

Varied on 26 February 2024

Contact DBT

Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to:

Import controls and trade sanctions

Department for Business and Trade
Old Admiralty Building
Admiralty Place
London
SW1A 2DY

Email importcontrols@businessandtrade.gov.uk

If you require this publication in an alternative format, email importcontrols@businessandtrade.gov.uk.