On September 7, 2026, the Government of the United Kingdom announced a range of new sanctions measures focused on Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including a comprehensive import ban. The legislation required to implement these restrictions is expected to be introduced in the next six to nine months. Further details of the measures have not yet been announced.
The UK announcement was accompanied by a joint statement from the foreign ministers of 12 countries, including Canada and France, affirming their commitment to protect the viability of a two-state solution and signaling support for restrictions on trade in goods originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The statement noted that several European countries, including Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium, had already adopted comparable measures, while the UK, France, and Canada would pursue their own national restrictions.
Below, we summarize key information known at this time.
Scope of the proposed ban
The UK government stated that the UK import ban will apply to all products originating in Israeli settlements, subject to appropriate religious exemptions. The scope of those exemptions has not yet been defined.
Consistent with the legislation published in the Netherlands, the UK measures may prohibit both:
- Importing settlement-origin goods into the UK
- Purchasing settlement-origin goods
UK sanctions generally apply to the conduct of UK-incorporated entities and UK nationals wherever they are located. Therefore, UK nationals, including dual nationals, located or residing in Israel will be required to comply with the prohibitions once they are introduced. If the measures include a prohibition on purchasing or acquiring settlement-origin goods, a UK national or dual national could be prohibited from purchasing settlement-origin goods for use or consumption in Israel.
It is uncertain whether the measures will also include prohibitions on technical assistance, financing, and financial assistance in connection with the import or purchase of settlement-origin goods, or on brokering services (i.e., services relating to the facilitation of the export of goods from settlements to a third country).
The UK government has confirmed that settlements covered by the import ban will be defined by reference to Israeli postal codes. The UK–Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement exempts goods produced in Israeli settlements from preferential tariff treatment under that agreement and imposes an obligation on UK importers to obtain documentary evidence of non-settlement origin prior to lodging a customs declaration with HM Revenue & Customs.
The UK government’s List of Non-Eligible Locations, which is maintained for that purpose, could form the basis of an appendix to the sanctions legislation defining the settlements that fall within scope.
Based on currently available information, the import ban does not appear to extend to goods manufactured in third countries that contain settlement-origin commodities or raw materials, although the scope of the measures will become clearer once the implementing legislation is published.
Wider measures
Alongside the import ban, the UK government confirmed that the legislation, once introduced, will:
- Prohibit UK persons and entities from advertising or promoting land and property in Israeli settlements
- Establish new designation powers under which the UK government could sanction individuals and entities that support, facilitate, or profit from illegal settlement activity
DLA Piper is monitoring these developments and similar measures that have been introduced or proposed in certain EU member states and Canada. For more information, please contact the authors.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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