Guidance on Export Controls

Export Controls to Certain Destinations (incl. Canadian economic sanctions)

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Area Control List

The export or transfer of any goods or technology (including technical data, technical assistance and information necessary for the development, production or use of a good) to countries on the Area Control List is controlled and must be authorized by an export permit issued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs under the authority of the Export and Import Permits Act.

Notices to Exporters provide details about applications to export to countries on the Area Control List:

Automatic Firearms Country Control List

Certain prohibited firearms, weapons, devices, or components thereof that are included on the Export Control List may be exported only to destinations in the Automatic Firearms Country Control List (AFCCL) and only under the authority of an export permit issued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs under the authority of the Export and Import Permits Act. Canada has inter-governmental defence, research, development and production arrangements with countries in the AFCCL.

The following goods, and their components and parts, as defined in section 4.1 of the Export and Import Permits Act and section 84 of the Criminal Code, are subject to the AFCCL when they are also included on the ECL:

  • an automatic firearm, whether or not it has been altered to discharge only one projectile with one pressure of the trigger;
  • any firearm that is prescribed by regulation to be a prohibited firearm;
  • any weapon, other than a firearm, that is prescribed by regulation to be a prohibited weapon;
  • any component or part of a weapon, or any accessory for use with a weapon, that is prescribed by regulation to be a prohibited device;
  • a cartridge magazine that is prescribed by regulation to be a prohibited device.

The AFCCL comprises the following countries:

  • Albania
  • Australia
  • Belgium
  • Botswana
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Türkiye
  • United Kingdom
  • United States

Prohibitions on military exports

Pakistan: On May 28, 1998, among other measures, the Minister of Foreign Affairs announced that military exports to Pakistan had been banned following nuclear weapons tests by that country. Any application to export to Pakistan goods or technology controlled in Group 2 of the Export Control List will be denied.

Canadian Economic Sanctions

The Parliament of Canada has enacted legislation authorizing the imposition of trade and economic sanctions through the United Nations Act and the Special Economic Measures Act. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the responsible minister for these statutes.

Prohibitions on certain exports to Iran

The Regulations Implementing the United Nations Resolutions on Iran (the Iran Regulations) were implemented in response to the proliferation risks resulting from Iran's uranium enrichment-related, reprocessing or heavy water-related activities, or to the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems.

As part of the Iran Regulations, certain goods, technologies and transactions are prohibited from being knowingly sold, supplied or transferred, directly or indirectly, to any person in Iran or for the benefit of Iran. These Regulations address a wide variety of activities including, but not limited to, exports, imports, financial transactions, use of registered vessels and aircraft, and property transactions. Exporters must ensure that their transactions are in conformity with the Iran Regulations.

The Iran Regulations also contain important prohibitions in relation to dealings and transactions with "designated persons" and entities who are engaged in, directly associated with, or providing support for Iran's proliferation sensitive nuclear activities or the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems.

The goods and technologies that are prohibited for export to Iran under Section 3 of the Iran Regulations are specified in the Export Control List, in addition to some nuclear-related products. All exports of goods or technology in the Export Control List are subject to export controls and must be authorized by an export permit. To apply for a permit to export controlled goods or technology to Iran, you must follow the procedure and submit the supporting documents which are described in the notice below.

Furthermore, these Section 3 goods and technologies may only be exported to Iran if certain conditions are met and after obtaining a certificate from the Minister of Foreign Affairs to exempt them from the application of the Iran Regulations. Sections 17 to 20 of the Iran Regulations outline the circumstances and conditions under which such certificates may be issued.