Arms Trade: Export Controls
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what oversight mechanisms are in place to ensure that UK-manufactured military components exported to third countries are not transferred onward in ways that may breach (a) UK export control requirements and (b) the laws of transit countries.
Answered by Chris Bryant
The UK assesses every export licence application on a case-by-case basis against strict assessment criteria, the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (the SELC). This includes an assessment on the risk of diversion of products to or through destinations subject to UK sanctions or arms embargoes.
Where an export transits or tranships other countries or territories enroute to its final destination, compliance with each country’s legislation and regulations is a matter for the exporter and their freight forwarder. The scope and application of transit and transhipment controls is a matter for each country’s own authorities.
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