UK arms embargoes and trade sanctions by country
GOV.UK lists 21 destinations under a UK arms embargo and 20 under UK trade sanctions (its list was updated on 23 April 2026). Look up where you are shipping: each measure links to GOV.UK’s own page.
Whether your goods are caught depends on what they are: Certaby never classifies goods or decides whether you need a licence. GOV.UK’s list leaves out countries under financial or other sanctions only; every party is still screened against the sanctions lists in an export check.
Destinations GOV.UK lists
| Destination | Arms embargo | Trade sanctions | Other restrictions | ECOWAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Argentina | · | · | ✓ | · |
| Belarus | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Benin | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Burkina Faso | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Burma (Myanmar) | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Cape Verde | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Central African Republic | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| China (People’s Republic other than the Special Administrative Regions) | ✓ | · | · | · |
| Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Democratic People’s Republic of Korea | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Gambia | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Ghana | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Guinea | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Guinea-Bissau | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | ✓ | · | · | · |
| Iran | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Iran (relating to nuclear weapons) | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Iraq | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Lebanon | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Liberia | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Libya | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Mali | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Niger | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Nigeria | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Russia | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Senegal | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Sierra Leone | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Somalia | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| South Sudan | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Sudan | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Syria | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Togo | · | · | · | ✓ |
| Ukrainenon-government controlled territory only | · | ✓ | · | · |
| Venezuela | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Yemen | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Zimbabwe | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
Transit control applies to goods passing through the UK to every destination on GOV.UK’s list, including these, where it is the only measure: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Colombia, Congo (Brazzaville), Dubai, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Krygyzstan, Macao Special Administrative Region, Mauritania, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Rwanda, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan.
US country controls, for goods with US content
If your goods contain US-made parts or US-origin technology, US export rules (15 CFR Part 746) restrict exports of items subject to the EAR to these destinations. Part 746 was last amended on 23 July 2026.
- Cuba15 CFR 746.2
- Iraq15 CFR 746.3
- North Korea15 CFR 746.4
- Crimea region of Ukraine and the covered regions of Ukraine (Crimea and the covered regions only)15 CFR 746.6
- Iran15 CFR 746.7
- Russia15 CFR 746.8
- Belarus15 CFR 746.8
- Syria15 CFR 746.9
Check the buyer and end user too
A destination with no measure can still have a buyer on a list. An export check screens a name against the UK, UN, EU and US sanctions lists and six US export lists, with a dated record for your file.
Sources: GOV.UK, trade sanctions, arms embargoes and other trade restrictions (updated 23 April 2026); 15 CFR Part 746. Checked 13 October 2026; we check both sources for changes every hour.