The government has this week announced that a new unit has been created to strengthen enforcements and clamp down on companies evading Russian sanctions.

The new Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI) will be able to hand out tougher penalties and refer cases for criminal enforcement.

The department for Trade and Business has reported that since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, imports to the UK from Russia have decreased by 94%.  Moving forward, those businesses evading the sanctions face greater chance of being identified and penalised.

Adam Wood, Head of Commercial at Barbourne Brook commented:

“Despite a huge decrease in imports from Russia some businesses are still evading the sanctions – often by sending goods via other countries.  This has now become an even risker business and the cost of getting caught out is higher than ever.  Businesses should review their customs duty practices to ensure that they comply with all the rules and sanctions and get ahead of the game before they end up paying a hefty price.”

OTSI will launch in early 2024 once the new legal requirements are in place and will reinforce existing work the government does to ensure UK trade sanctions are adhered to.

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Click here to read the full Government article.

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