I understand there is a new Open General Import Licence issued by the Import Licensing Branch of BIS – can you please tell me if this is the case and, if so, where I can get a copy?

Yes, you are quite right. A new Open General Import Licence (OGIL) was issued 1st May 2009. The new OGIL revoked the previous OGIL, dated 4 December 1987. It consolidated all the amendments made to the previous one into three documents:

• The Open general import licence (to download 39KB)
• Schedule 1 prohibited goods, general (to download 343KB)
• Schedule 2 chemical weapons convention annex on chemicals (to download 60KB)

Glancing through Schedule 1, I found it interesting that it includes products such as uranium, plutonium, iron and steel, firearms, execution equipment, eg guillotines, gas chambers, electric chairs alongside textiles and articles of clothing. You can find the full version on the Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) website.. 

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