British Columbia

Restrictions & Sanctions

Restrictions & sanctions (Canada)

Trading restrictions (Canada)

Trading restrictions imposed by Canada

In addition to the United Nations sanctions Canada has imposed the following:

Canadian Sanctions Related to Belarus

Canadian Sanctions Related to Russia

Canadian sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

The Special Economic Measures (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) Regulations which entered into force on 31 August 2011, subject to certain exceptions, include:

A prohibition on any ship that is registered in the DPRK to dock in Canada or pass through Canada unless such docking or passage is necessary to safeguard human life.
A prohibition on financial services to, from or for the benefit of or on the direction or order of the DPRK or any person in the DPRK by any person in Canada and any Canadian outside Canada.
A prohibition on all imports or shipment of any goods that are exported, supplied or shipped from the DPRK, whether the goods originated in the DPRK or elsewhere, by any person in Canada and any Canadian outside Canada.
A prohibition on all exports or shipment any goods, wherever situated, to the DPRK or any person in the DPRK or to deal in any goods destined for the DPRK or any person in the DPRK, by any person in Canada and any Canadian outside Canada.

Canadian sanctions against Myanmar

Sanctions are specified under the Special Economic Measures (Burma) Regulations which entered into force on 13 December 2007.

The current sanctions include:

a freeze on assets in Canada of any designated Myanmar national connected with the State of Myanmar and prohibitions on several categories of transactions, services and dealings involving property of designated persons, wherever situated
an arms embargo, including prohibitions on exporting and importing arms and related material to and from Myanmar, on communicating technical data related to military activities or arms and related material, and on financial services related to military activities or arms and related material. Exempt are certain protective or non-lethal military clothing and equipment when intended for use by media, humanitarian, human rights or other listed personnel.
The Canadian Sanctions Related to Myanmar were updated on 14 May 2021.

Canadian sanctions against Iran

Canada imposed new sanctions on Iran under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA). These sanctions were in addition to existing sanctions passed by the United Nations Security Council and entered into force on 22 July 2010.

On 29 May 2013 Canada announced an immediate ban on all imports to and exports from Iran, subject to certain exemptions; and added a further 30 individuals and 82 entities to Canada's list of designated persons with whom dealings are prohibited under the Special Economic Measures Act. With these new measures, the total number of designated persons rises to 78 individuals and 508 entities.

Except where designated individuals and entities are involved, exemptions are provided for activities that safeguard human life, provide disaster relief, food or medicine and the new exemptions for equipment, services and software that facilitate secure and widespread communications via information technologies; goods used to purify water for civilian and public health purposes, and for the provision of listed medical equipment; and expand the existing exemptions for the provision of legal services.

Canadian sanctions against Syria

Sanctions are specified under the Special Economic Measures (Syria) Regulations which were last amended on 28 November 2012.

Some of the sanctions include:

a prohibition on the import, purchase, acquisition, or transportation of goods, other than food for human consumption, that are exported, supplied or shipped from Syria after 23 December 2011
a prohibition on the import, purchase, acquisition, or transportation of petroleum or petroleum products, excluding natural gas, from Syria;
an asset freeze on designated individuals and entities
a prohibition on new investment in the oil industry in Syria; and
a prohibition on providing financing for the activities described above.
a prohibition on the export, sell, supply or ship to Syria or any person in Syria any of the goods set out in Schedule 2 of the Act.

For a complete list of sanctions please see Special Economic Measures (Syria) Regulations below.