UK publishes 2025 export-control licensing data
The UK Department for Business and Trade has released official licensing statistics covering the full calendar year 2025 (1 January–31 December). The dataset provides aggregate data on strategic export control applications, approvals, and denials across all controlled goods categories. This annual release offers visibility into UK export-control enforcement trends and is relevant to suppliers and freight forwarders managing controlled shipments to restricted destinations or end-users.
Photo: Frank Rietsch / Pexels# UK Publishes 2025 Strategic Export Controls Licensing Data
The UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has published official statistics on strategic export controls licensing activity for the calendar year 2025, covering all applications processed between 1 January and 31 December 2025.
Data coverage and scope
The release includes licensing data across the UK's strategic export controls regime, which governs the export of:
- Military goods and technologies
- Dual-use items (goods and technology with both civilian and military application)
- Radioactive materials
- Controlled services related to the above
The data encompasses all licensing decisions—approvals, rejections, and withdrawals—processed during the calendar year.
Who is affected
Exporters, freight forwarders, and logistics providers involved in cross-border movement of controlled goods must understand UK export-control requirements. This includes:
- Manufacturers and distributors of dual-use electronics, machinery, and software
- Firms shipping to sanctioned destinations or sensitive end-users
- Providers of technical assistance or brokerage services
- Customs brokers and freight forwarders managing manifests for controlled items
What this means for shippers
If you export dual-use goods, electronics, or sensitive technology, review the 2025 licensing trends to understand approval timelines and risk factors. Misclassification or failure to obtain a required license can result in criminal penalties, seizure, and loss of export privileges. Verify your goods' classification and destination immediately using the UK's controlled goods list, and consult DBT before shipping. Check your customer and end-use against current sanctions and denied-party lists. /sanctions-screen
