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    Sanctions

    The international community uses sanctions in order to exert influence on conflicts within and between countries, without military intervention. Common sanctions are arms embargos, the freezing of assets, travel restrictions and trade restrictions. The Netherlands sets out these international sanctions in sanctions regimes.

    Customs monitors compliance with sanctions upon the import and export of goods and services from and to certain countries. The Customs Central Import and Export Office (CDIU) issues licences and grants exemptions that relate to this.

    Sanctions upon export

    The export of certain goods to certain countries is prohibited or is only allowed with a licence. For example:

    • export of military goods to countries where a war is raging
    • export of goods to countries where a dictatorial regime is in power

    In those cases, Customs checks whether the goods contain the licence that is required for the export. If this is not the case, Customs will stop the export.

    Sanctions upon import

    Sanctions also apply upon import. As a result, the import of certain goods from certain countries is prohibited or is only allowed with a licence. In these cases, Customs checks whether the goods contain the licence that is required for the import. If this is not the case, Customs will stop the import.

    Does a sanction apply?

    If you want to know whether you are dealing with goods or countries to which a sanction applies, you can check the below websites:

    Forms

    You can use the following forms for notifications and applications in connection with sanctions. Also read how to submit the forms.

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