How can an Egyptian exporter verify UN and EU sanctions compliance before shipping to a sanctioned country?

we shall review the list of countries under UN and EU sanctions, then we'll ensure that the exporter will not be under these sanctions.

A concise summary of steps for sanctions compliance: 1) Check UN sanctions lists (UN Security Council Consolidated List) and verify against the customer, their bank, intermediaries, shipping companies, and vessels; monitor updates. 2) Check EU sanctions lists (EU Sanctions Map/Database); verify if goods or entities are restricted, including dual-use items and restricted goods. 3) Screen the transaction with sanctions screening databases (World-Check, LexisNexis Bridger Insight, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, Denylist.org, and logistics screening tools). 4) Verify product-specific restrictions (UN sectoral embargoes, dual-use controls; EU Export Controls Regulation and country embargoes). 5) Check Egypt’s export controls (MOFA, Egyptian Customs, GOEIC). 6) Conduct end-user verification (EUC, business license, non-reexport declaration, proof of activities). 7) Assess maritime and logistics risks (shell companies, ship-to-ship transfers, AIS silencing, flags of convenience; verify vessel name, IMO number, and destination port against lists). 8) Note that certain destinations (e.g., Syria, Iran, Russia) may have heightened restrictions.

At a practical level, compliance for exports to sanctioned or partially sanctioned jurisdictions follows a workflow, not a single checkbox. First, you must classify the products to determine whether they fall under dual-use controls, which means reviewing technical specifications against applicable control lists and not relying on marketing descriptions or supplier labels. Second, you assess whether an export license or authorization is required under Egyptian law and the relevant United Nations and European Union sanctions regimes, including any extraterritorial exposure. Third, you conduct end-use and end-user due diligence, documenting who the buyer is, who the ultimate user is, where the goods will actually be deployed, and whether any restricted entities, intermediaries, or diversion risks are involved. Fourth, you implement record-keeping that is audit-ready, meaning clear product classification notes, screening results, licensing correspondence, shipping documents, invoices, contracts, and internal approvals, all retained in an organized and traceable manner.

From an enforcement perspective, regulators care less about perfect outcomes and more about whether you can demonstrate a reasonable, structured, and documented compliance process. If you cannot show your work, you effectively did not do it. Penalties, shipment seizures, and blacklisting tend to follow.

This kind of assessment is highly fact-specific and sits at the intersection of trade control, sanctions, and commercial law. Ragy & Partners Law Firm – Attorneys & Counselors at Law LLP (RPLF) would be pleased to assist with product classification, licensing strategy, due-diligence frameworks, and preparing audit-ready compliance documentation, all on a confidential basis and tailored to Egyptian exporters operating in regulated markets.