On 8 March 2022, the UK announced it would ban the import of all Russian oil and oil products by the end of 2022. Legislation was passed on 3 November to implement the ban which will come into effect from 5 December. A parallel Maritime Services ban will apply from 5 December for crude oil and 5 February for refined oil products. Since the announcement of the ban, the industry has been self-sanctioning to move away from Russian oil and products.

Provisional data shows in the three months to September 2022, the UK imported 0.1 per cent of gross oil supply (production + imports) from Russia, down from 4.4% in the same period in 2021. Of these imports all were products, the UK did not import crude oil from Russia in the three months to September 2022.

Source: Energy Trends.

The UK Government is aware that Iran has signed a memorandum to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and is committed to continuing to work with the international community to ensure Iran abides by international laws and norms and is held to account for its destabilising activities. The UK has over 200 sanctions designations in place against Iran including in relation to human rights, nuclear proliferation and terrorism. This includes sanctions against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety. The FCDO works closely with the relevant cross government enforcement bodies to ensure the robust implementation of sanctions.

With allies, we continue to impose the most severe economic sanctions Russia has faced, stifling the Russian economy.

According to Department for International Trade analysis of HMRC trade data, UK-Russia trade in goods that is now wholly or partially sanctioned was worth £19bn in 2021.

Office for National Statistics analysis shows that UK goods exports to Russia in June 2022 were 67% lower than average monthly exports in the 12 months to February 2022, while UK goods imports from Russia were 97% lower. This was the lowest value of UK goods imports from Russia since records began in January 1997.

HMRC is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website: www.uktradeinfo.com. From this website, it is also possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/ots-custom-table.

Classification codes (according to the Harmonised System) are available to assist with accessing published trade statistics data in the UK Global Tariff: https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/find_commodity.

Trade data about cars, gas turbines, packaged medicaments, and construction vehicles exported to Russia prior to sanctions being imposed is publicly available on: www.uktradeinfo.com.

The site also contains a ‘Help’ function with information on how to extract trade data. Further assistance can also be obtained via the Customer Services team on phone number: 03000 594 250 or via email: uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.

HMRC is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website: www.uktradeinfo.com. From this website, it is also possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/ots-custom-table.

Classification codes (according to the Harmonised System) are available to assist with accessing published trade statistics data in the UK Global Tariff: https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/find_commodity.

Trade data about cars, gas turbines, packaged medicaments, and construction vehicles exported to Russia prior to sanctions being imposed is publicly available on: www.uktradeinfo.com.

The site also contains a ‘Help’ function with information on how to extract trade data. Further assistance can also be obtained via the Customer Services team on phone number: 03000 594 250 or via email: uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.

HMRC is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website: www.uktradeinfo.com. From this website, it is also possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/ots-custom-table.

Classification codes (according to the Harmonised System) are available to assist with accessing published trade statistics data in the UK Global Tariff: https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/find_commodity.

Trade data about cars, gas turbines, packaged medicaments, and construction vehicles exported to Russia prior to sanctions being imposed is publicly available on: www.uktradeinfo.com.

The site also contains a ‘Help’ function with information on how to extract trade data. Further assistance can also be obtained via the Customer Services team on phone number: 03000 594 250 or via email: uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.

HMRC is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website: www.uktradeinfo.com. From this website, it is also possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/ots-custom-table.

Classification codes (according to the Harmonised System) are available to assist with accessing published trade statistics data in the UK Global Tariff: https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/find_commodity.

Trade data about cars, gas turbines, packaged medicaments, and construction vehicles exported to Russia prior to sanctions being imposed is publicly available on: www.uktradeinfo.com.

The site also contains a ‘Help’ function with information on how to extract trade data. Further assistance can also be obtained via the Customer Services team on phone number: 03000 594 250 or via email: uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.

In lockstep with our allies, the UK is introducing the largest and most severe economic sanctions that Russia has ever faced, to help cripple Putin’s war machine. Our sanctions against Russia do not target exports of medicines, nor do they seek to impede delivery of food supplies or humanitarian assistance. Our issue is not with the Russian people but with the actions of the Russian government and its supporters. We are committed to using the full range of tools available where necessary to mitigate unintended consequences on the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

The UK has imposed the most severe package of financial sanctions in history in response to Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine. Working with partners, we are effectively isolating Russia from the global economy, and making it far more difficult for Russian oligarchs and businesses to operate outside their own borders.

Our sanctions are having an impact on Russia’s economy; Putin has acknowledged the “problems and difficulties” caused by sanctions and the IMF has estimated Russia’s GDP will shrink by 8.5 percent this year.

We are cutting off Russia’s access to finance – with asset freezes on major banks - including Russia’s largest bank Sberbank - and the removal of selected banks from SWIFT. We have sanctioned Russia’s largest banks with global assets worth £500bn pre-invasion. Over 3 million Russian companies are now barred from raising money on UK capital markets. The Russian state cannot raise funds in the UK.

Sanctions on Russia’s central bank, in concert with international partners, prevent it from liquidating or moving its foreign currency reserves and assets, and undercut its ability to engage in foreign exchange transactions to support the rouble.

We will go broader, we will go deeper, and we will close loopholes. We are united with the G7 to bring this war to an end. And, together, we will encourage the widest possible set of countries to act with us, with a focus on those who can have the biggest impact on Putin and his war machine.

We are actively working with departments and agencies across Government to identify all aircraft and vessels, including leisure craft, that fall within the scope of the sanctions Regulations. To date, three aircraft have been detained, and two remain under a restriction of flying order pending investigation. At least 28 ships have been frustrated by the maritime sanctions, and one superyacht has been detained.

We are actively working with departments and agencies across government, with industry, and Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, to enforce sanctions against Russia – including the identification of Russian-owned aircraft and ships.

The UK is working with our international partners to ensure any action is coordinated and inflicts the maximum damage to parties involved in the unlawful invasion of Ukraine. We will continue to work with allies to identify targets as appropriate but will not comment on future sanctions.

The UK does not speculate on future sanctions. However, we have made clear that we will continue to increase pressure on Putin's regime to ensure he is unable to fuel his barbaric war machine.

UK sanctions have been coordinated with international allies to impose severe cost on Putin and his regime. We are acting together, as our collective impact is greater than the sum of its parts, although the UK has been at the forefront of the allied response.

Iran has been in non-compliance with its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) commitments since 2019 and its nuclear programme is more advanced today than it has ever been before. We urge Iran to halt all activities in violation of the JCPoA without delay and take the opportunity in front of them in the JCPoA Vienna negotiations to restore the nuclear deal. If a deal is not swiftly concluded, and Iran continues its nuclear escalation, Iran will be responsible for missing the opportunity to restore the JCPoA and for bringing about the collapse of the deal.

In the event of the JCPoA collapsing, we would carefully consider all options in partnership with our allies, including sanctions.

The UK has over 200 sanctions designations in place against Iran including in relation to human rights, nuclear proliferation and terrorism. This includes against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety. The UK is committed to working with the international community to ensure Iran abides by international laws and norms and is held to account for its destabilising activity in the region.

We are currently engaged in negotiations in Vienna aimed at restoring the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). A restored JCPoA would provide for Iran's civil nuclear needs. If a deal is not swiftly concluded, and Iran continues its nuclear escalation, Iran will be responsible for the collapse of the deal. In this scenario we would carefully consider all options in partnership with our allies, including sanctions.

The British Government has made its position on boycotts/sanctions clear. We are firmly opposed to boycotts/sanctions against Israel. We believe that open and honest discussions, rather than supporting anti-Israeli boycotts, best supports our efforts to help progress in the peace process and achieve a negotiated solution.

Proscription makes it a criminal offence to invite support for, or arrange, manage or assist in arranging or managing a meeting in support of a pro-scribed organisation. This offence does not have extra-territorial jurisdiction.

As far as we are aware no US sanctions are being considered against the Leader of the Opposition.

If a party to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) thinks there has been a violation of the JCPoA they should notify the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission will discuss these concerns with a view to resolving them within 15 days. If the Joint Commission cannot resolve the matter, it will be considered by an Advisory Panel made up of the complainant, defendant and an independent party, and may also be considered in parallel by Foreign Ministers. If the concern still cannot be resolved and the complainant believes that the violation constitutes significant non-performance of JCPoA commitments then the matter will be escalated to the UN Security Council, which will vote on a resolution to continue the lifting of sanctions. If the Security Council does not adopt this resolution within 30 days, nuclear-related UN sanctions will automatically ‘snapback’. In addition to UN sanctions, the US and the EU can re-impose sanctions if Iran is in breach of its commitments.