Explanatory note

These Regulations are made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (c. 13) (“the Sanctions Act”).

The Regulations make amendments to a number of sanctions regulations which have been made under section 1 of the Sanctions Act.

The Regulations amend the following sanctions regulations to broaden the scope of the prior obligations licensing ground; namely—

• the Venezuela (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/135),

• the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/411),

• the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/433),

• the South Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/438),

• the Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/461),

• the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/554),

• the Republic of Belarus (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/600),

• the Zimbabwe (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/604),

• the Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/618),

• the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/792),

• the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/855),

• the Guinea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1145),

• the Cyber (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/597),

• the Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/608),

• the Nicaragua (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/610),

• the Central African Republic (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/616),

• the Somalia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/642),

• the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/680),

• the Mali (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/705),

• the Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/753),

• the Yemen (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1278),

• the Unauthorised Drilling Activities in the Eastern Mediterranean (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1474),

• the Libya (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1665),

• the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/488),

• the Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/496),

• the Haiti (Sanctions) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1281),

• the Iran (Sanctions) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1314), and

• the Global Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons Sanctions Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/902).

The Regulations amend the Afghanistan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/948) to remove the prior obligations licensing ground in line with the relevant UN obligations, and to correct an error contained in the amending S.I. 2024/644.

The Regulations amend the following sanctions regulations to create an offence of exporting controlled goods having been informed of the risk of diversion; namely—

• the Venezuela (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Republic of Belarus (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Zimbabwe (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Lebanon (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/612),

• the Somalia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Libya (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021, and

• the Iran (Sanctions) Regulations 2023.

The Regulations amend the following sanctions regulations to remove defunct wording following the amendment of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 (c. 2) by section 32 of the Finance Act 2024 (c. 3); namely—

• the Venezuela (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the South Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida (United Nations Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/466),

• the Counter-Terrorism (International Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/573),

• the Republic of Belarus (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Zimbabwe (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Lebanon (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Central African Republic (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Somalia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Iraq (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/707),

• the Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Afghanistan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Syria (United Nations Sanctions) (Cultural Property) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1233),

• the Yemen (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2020,

• the Libya (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021,

• the Haiti (Sanctions) Regulations 2022, and

• the Iran (Sanctions) Regulations 2023.

The Regulations amend the following sanctions regulations to change currency references from euros to pounds where such references appear in the definitions of “relevant firms”. The definitions of “high value dealers” and “art market participants” will therefore contain monetary thresholds that align with the monetary thresholds for “high value dealers” and “art market participants” as defined in the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations ( S.I. 2017/692), as will be amended by the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2026, which have been laid in draft before Parliament under section 55(5)(d) of the Sanctions Act 2018, and are available at https://www.legislation.gov.uk; namely—

• the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the South Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida (United Nations Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Counter-Terrorism (International Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Counter-Terrorism (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/577),

• the Republic of Belarus (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Zimbabwe (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Guinea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Cyber (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Nicaragua (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Central African Republic (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Lebanon (Sanctions) (Assassination of Rafiq Hariri and others) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/617),

• the Somalia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020,

• the Mali (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Iraq (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Afghanistan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Yemen (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2020,

• the Unauthorised Drilling Activities in the Eastern Mediterranean (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Libya (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regulations 2021,

• the Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021,

• the Haiti (Sanctions) Regulations 2022,

• Iran (Sanctions) Regulations 2023, and

• the Global Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons Sanctions Regulations 2025.

The Regulations amend the following sanctions regulations to remove the requirement for consent to licensing notification by non-postal means; namely—

• the Venezuela (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the South Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida (United Nations Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Counter-Terrorism (International Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Counter-Terrorism (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Republic of Belarus (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Zimbabwe (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Guinea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Cyber (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Nicaragua (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Lebanon (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Central African Republic (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Lebanon (Sanctions) (Assassination of Rafiq Hariri and others) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Somalia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020,

• the Mali (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Iraq (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Afghanistan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Unauthorised Drilling Activities in the Eastern Mediterranean (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Libya (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regulations 2021,

• the Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021,

• the Haiti (Sanctions) Regulations 2022,

• the Iran (Sanctions) Regulations 2023, and

• the Global Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons Sanctions Regulations 2025.

The Regulations amend the following sanctions regulations to clarify the scope of the exception for payments in respect of Treasury debts; namely—

• the South Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019,

• the Central African Republic (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020,

• the Yemen (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2020,

• the Libya (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, and

• the Haiti (Sanctions) Regulations 2022.

The Regulations amend the following sanctions regulations to reflect amendments to the Sanctions Act made by the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 (c. 10) on the face of the Sanctions Act; namely—

• the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, and

• the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

The Regulations amend the Zimbabwe (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 to correct an error contained in the amending S.I. 2025/394.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen. An Impact Assessment was, however, produced for the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 and can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/653271/Sanctions_and_Anti-Money_Laundering_Bill_Impact_Assessment_18102017.pdf.