The Institute of Export & International Trade (IOE&IT) is launching a new Special Interest Group (SIG) for export control professionals next week and members are invited to attend a launch event on Monday (30 January) to find out more about it.
The chair of the IOE&IT’s Export Control Profession, Roger Arthey, says the event will be a chance for members at the IOE&IT to “communicate with each other to improve both their compliance and the way they develop their compliance within their businesses”.
What are controls?
Controls are imposed by governments to manage the export of certain sensitive goods, software and technologies. This includes military items and those that have a ‘dual use’ (both military and civilian), for which businesses will often need to obtain a licence to export.
Control professionals are also often responsible for ensuring companies ensure compliance with international trade sanctions, such as those imposed against Russia following its illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Helping members with compliance
The IOE&IT’s new SIG will be dedicated to promoting compliance among trade professionals responsible for compliance with control regulations, licensing conditions and sanctions, both in the UK and beyond.
The launch event is taking place on Monday 30 January from 10-11.30am and all members of the IOE&IT are invited to attend.
Roger Arthey, chairman of the IOE&IT’s Export Control Profession group and one of the panelists at Monday’s event, explained the purpose of the SIG:
“We've already got a regular newsfeed with items of interest and a very well used and useful helpline for members to help them comply with sanctions. The IOE&IT has also developed training programs, and is now working on a qualification in export controls.
“What the SIG will also allow members to do is to comment on these services to say whether they’re doing what they need them to do and to identify areas where they need improved services to help them on their compliance journey.”
Interaction
The launch event will be an interactive experience, with the chance for attendees to speak to fellow professionals around the world. Arthey explains:
“There'll be a lot of opportunities for networking, as well as engaging with industry experts, who will talk about items of particular interest to export control professionals.
“Over the next year, there’ll be three webinars of particular interest to export control people to help them with their internal compliance programs.”
The guest speaker at the event will be Adrian Bond, head of engagement at the Export Control Joint Unit.
As well as Arthey, Brinley Salzmann, director of overseas & exports of ADS Group, Antonia Rudger, export controls manager at Rolls Royce, and Sam Hodgkins trade and customs specialist at the IOE&IT Academy, will also be contributing to discussions.
In-person meeting
There will also be opportunities for in-person meetings through the SIG. Arthey explains:
“We're planning to have at least one physical meeting every year, which will give people an opportunity not just to hear from industry experts, but also to engage with them personally, and also to network with each other, to find out what other areas what other people are doing to help to achieve export control compliance.”
“This is a real chance for export control people to be able to meet and discuss things together.”
“This will give them an opportunity to communicate with each other to improve both their compliance and the way that they develop their compliance within their businesses.”
Why sanctions?
The IOE&IT decided to pick export controls not only because it is one of the fastest moving areas of international trade, but also because of the political and risky nature of working with sanctions.
“The last year or so has taught us an awful lot about export controls and the importance of them. As soon as Russia invaded Ukraine, countries like the UK, US as well as Europe more widely, all brought in sanctions and export controls against Russia.”
“There was a great need for companies and exporting organisations to be aware of those sanctions, to understand them so that they could then ensure compliance and met the criteria that are required for exports around Europe, as well as the world.
IOE&IT’s mission
Director general of the IOE&IT Marco Forgione said:
“Export controls are really important. It's quite easy to inadvertently breach what controls are set in place. Making sure that UK businesses are able to trade safely, securely and compliantly is at the very heart hard to what the issues of IOE&IT stands for.”
“Focusing first on the special interests of export control professionals is a sensible first step.”
You can register for the SIG launch and find out more details here.