UK revamps export controls, tightening lists, reshaping country tiers and phasing out GEA 001 from December.
The Export Control (Amendment) Regulations 2026 were laid before Parliament on 3 November and are set to become law on 1 December 2026, pending final approval. The package amends the 2008 Export Control Order and the EU’s Recast Dual-Use Regulation, bringing the United Kingdom’s strategic export regime in line with recent multilateral reviews.
Businesses that move goods, software or technology with potential military applications must now check revised control entries, while the Department for Business and Trade has issued a detailed notice to exporters outlining the transition timetable.
Updated dual-use and military control lists
Schedule 2 of the Export Control Order and Annex I of the assimilated Dual-Use Regulation have both been refreshed. The updates incorporate changes agreed in the 2025 reviews of the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Australia Group, expanding restrictions on a range of advanced and emerging technologies.
Notable additions include tighter controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment, high-performance computing modules and specialised composite materials. Companies producing or exporting such items now face a higher likelihood of requiring a licence, and the definitions of “dual-use” have been sharpened to close previously identified loopholes.
Schedule 4 country tier adjustments
Parallel to the technical revisions, the government has altered the country-specific listings in Schedule 4. Haiti has been moved from Part 3 to Part 2, placing it under an arms-embargo regime that governs both military goods and certain dual-use items. Conversely, the Central African Republic has shifted from Part 2 to Part 3, narrowing the scope of controls that apply to it. These moves mirror the current stance of the UK’s sanctions framework and ensure that export licensing criteria reflect the latest geopolitical realities.
Revocation of GEA 001 and transition to new OGELs
The most visible change for exporters is the cancellation of General Export Authorisation No 001 (GEA 001). In Great Britain the authorisation has been superseded by a broader Open General Export Licence (OGEL) for dual-use items. Companies that were registered to use GEA 001 on 1 December may continue doing so until 1 April 2027, after which the licence will no longer be valid. The revocation does not affect Northern Ireland, where the EU-based GEA 001 remains in force under the relevant EU regime.
At the same time, the Export Control Joint Unit announced the forthcoming withdrawal of the existing OGEL that covered dual-use exports to EU member states. The new, consolidated OGEL will replace it, and users are advised to complete the registration process before the 1 April 2027 deadline. The transition is intended to simplify compliance, reducing the need for separate standard licences for qualifying shipments.
Earlier in October, the ECJU broadened the geographical reach of three OGELs, adding twelve new destinations for dual-use items and expanding two military-goods licences to include additional NATO and commercial end-users. The added markets, ranging from Bahrain to Qatar, could eliminate more than 800 individual licence applications each year, according to government estimates. Exporters should consult the latest OGEL documentation to verify product eligibility, end-user criteria and any specific conditions attached to each destination.
For businesses seeking guidance, the Export Control Joint Unit can be contacted via email at [email protected] or by phone at 020 7215 4594. The department also encourages companies to sign up for email alerts that broadcast notices to exporters, ensuring that any further amendments are received promptly.
