UK Exporters to Face 'Minimal' Licensing Disruption During Coronavirus Pandemic, UK Says

There will be “minimum disruption” to the export licensing process for exporters in the United Kingdom, which expects to continue processing license applications amid the coronavirus pandemic response, according to a March 20 notice from the U.K.’s Export Control Joint Unit. Processing “strategic” export license applications has been “identified as a business-critical operation” by the Department for International Trade, the ECJU said, adding that it recognizes authorizations for dual-use and military exports are “essential.” In addition, as more of the industry works from home, the ECJU clarified that there are “no export license compliance issues” with industry accessing U.K. “export control regulated data” from home using a company computer. Users will continue to receive communications and license decisions from SPIRE, the U.K.’s online export licensing system, in the “normal way,” the notice said.

The agency added that its compliance and inspection program will continue, but it will conduct remote audits instead of site audits. The ECJU said it has reached out to sites that were scheduled to be audited “soon” to determine an “effective communication route” and will “discuss how best a remote audit can be undertaken.” Industry should ensure it has access to all records relating to their licensed exports, the notice said.