Export control: licensing performance dashboard
Updated 12 October 2015
© Crown copyright 2015
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/export-control-licensing-performance-dashboard/export-control-licensing-performance-dashboard
Please note this publication is under review. The Export Control Organisation plans to revise it in spring 2017.
1. Introduction
The Export Control Organisation (ECO) promotes global security through strategic export controls, facilitating responsible exports. We aim to help exporters sell their goods responsibly within the law.
We also see exporters as customers and we work to demanding efficiency targets:
- 70% of licence applications processed within 20 working days
- 99% of licence applications processed within 60 working days
This page will give you a regularly updated snapshot of our performance against targets, and also how we are doing on a country-by-country basis. We hope this information will help you to make better licence applications, which we believe is the key to the efficiency of the whole process.
The performance data in this publication is calculated from the SPIRE licensing management system. These are not official statistics. For official statistics, which present initial processing times calculated using a different methodology, please see Strategic export controls: licensing data.
2. Overall export licensing performance
This table shows ECO’s current performance for processing Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) against our targets. It also shows:
- median processing time in days for SIELs
- ECO’s performance for Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) against the target of 60% within 60 working days
| Month/Year | Oct 14 | Nov 14 | Dec 14 | Jan 15 | Feb 15 | Mar 15 | Apr 15 | May 15 | Jun 15 | Jul 15 | Aug 15 | Sep 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIELs 70% target | 74.6 | 75.1 | 70 | 66 | 70.7 | 68.2 | 52.4 | 47.4 | 55.0 | 68.7 | 78.0 | |
| SIELs 99% target | 99.15 | 98.0 | 97.9 | 98.7 | 97.4 | 97.7 | 98.1 | 98.2 | 97.3 | 97.4 | 98.8 | |
| SIELs median processing time | 16 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 15 | 12 | |
| OIELs 60% target | 66.7 | 45.7 | 55.6 | 68.4 | 52.2 | 65.3 | 62.7 | 53.1 | 53.5 | 63.9 | 47.9 |
3. Export licensing decisions for key destinations
(January to March 2015)
Updated quarterly, this table shows the total number of SIELs/SITCLs processed and percentages of all applications completed, against the ECO’s targets.
See also the latest Strategic Export Controls annual report.
| Country | Total SIELs issued | Median processing time, days (SIELs/SITCLs) | SIELs/SITCLs completed in 20 working days (% and number) | SIELs/SITCLs completed in 60 working days (% and number) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 39 | 14 | 90 (30) | 100 (33) |
| Brazil | 48 | 14 | 80 (53) | 100 (65) |
| Canada | 23 | 16 | 66 (18) | 100 (27) |
| China | 209 | 21 | 47 (133) | 97 (272) |
| India | 204 | 17 | 76 (207) | 96 (260) |
| Indonesia | 46 | 16 | 83 (41) | 100 (49) |
| Iran | 2 | 17 | 72 (88) | 100 (121) |
| Japan | 12 | 19 | 57 (8) | 100 (14) |
| Kuwait | 19 | 18 | 90 (20) | 100 (22) |
| Libya | 4 | 15 | 58 (7) | 91 (11) |
| Malaysia | 68 | 16 | 74 (69) | 98 (92) |
| Oman | 49 | 18 | 76 (46) | 100 (60) |
| Pakistan | 40 | 17 | 66 (50) | 94 (71) |
| Qatar | 49 | 17 | 79 (46) | 100 (58) |
| Saudi Arabia | 75 | 18 | 70 (61) | 100 (86) |
| South Korea | 134 | 16 | 80 (116) | 100 (144) |
| Thailand | 28 | 19 | 56 (17) | 100 (30) |
| Turkey | 122 | 16 | 79 (117) | 99 (146) |
| UAE | 146 | 16 | 83 (157) | 99 (187) |
| USA | 174 | 14 | 82 (177) | 98 (211) |
The table below, also updated quarterly, shows the numbers of OIELs and Open Individual Trade Control Licences (OITCLs), also SIELs and Standard Individual Trade Control Licences (SITCLs) that have been rejected or refused:
| Country | Number of OIELs/OITCLs rejected | Number of SIELs/SITCLs refused |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 0 | 0 |
| Brazil | 0 | 0 |
| Canada | 0 | 0 |
| China | 2 | 14 |
| India | 0 | 8 |
| Indonesia | 2 | 0 |
| Iran | 0 | 0 |
| Japan | 0 | 0 |
| Kuwait | 1 | 0 |
| Libya | 0 | 0 |
| Malaysia | 1 | 0 |
| Oman | 2 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 0 | 4 |
| Qatar | 1 | 0 |
| Russia | 0 | 21 |
| Saudi Arabia | 2 | 0 |
| South Korea | 1 | 0 |
| Thailand | 2 | 1 |
| Turkey | 2 | 0 |
| UAE | 1 | 3 |
| USA | 0 | 0 |
(As the numbers in this table are low, percentages are not given as they would not be meaningful.)
4. Avoiding requests for further information (RFIs) on your application
To improve your chances of getting a licence within the target time or sooner, you need to ensure that your application includes full technical specifications and remember to attach the appropriate end-user documentation.
Any missing information or incomplete details will result in us sending you a request for further information (RFI) via SPIRE, with consequent delays in processing your application. The table below outlines the top 5 RFIs and their causes:
| Nature of RFI | Causes |
|---|---|
| End-user documentation | EU documentation and Export Licence Application (ELA) contain contradictory information. EU documentation is out-of-date, unsigned or signed by more than one person. Not possible to determine who signed the letterhead. EUU signature on EUD is electronic. |
| Technical specifications | Technical information provided doesn’t include relevant assessment parameters from the related control entry. |
| Goods descriptions | This should describe the goods in sufficient detail (see link below). In the case of any of the items being specially designed or modified for military use (or for the development, production or use of military items) then ECO will need details of the original military use, or the design intent. |
| Third parties | Third parties or ultimate end-users listed on the EUD that are not listed on the application. |
| Incorporation | Knowing when your consignee is your end-user because they are incorporating or integrating your goods. |
For more information, see the guides on submitting export licence applications correctly and the export control licensing process and how to appeal.
As an illustration of the benefits of avoiding RFIs, remember that the median processing times for SIELs requiring RFIs during 2012 was 23 days, compared with around 12 to 13 days for all licences.
5. Do’s and don’ts for better licence applications
Follow these do’s and don’ts to help you make better licence applications:
- build export control checks into your quality control processes
- don’t rely on one person to know/do it all
- establish the control classification for goods
- be aware of political situation of the country of destination
- check out end-user issues
- read the terms and conditions of all licences
- train people in your organisation - from sales to procurement to shipping
- keep records of all relevant documents for exporting controlled goods
6. Help, advice and contacts
Further sources of information:
- new to exporting controlled goods? Read our introductory guide
- sign up for Notices to Exporters to be alerted to the latest developments in export control licensing and legislation
- ECO arranges training for exporters on strategic export control issues at locations around the country
- read about sanctions, embargoes and other restrictions
- SPIRE is the Export Control Organisation’s fully electronic system for processing strategic export licence applications
- Export Control Statistics website
- Project Alpha @ King’s College London Information guidance and country profiles intended to assist the exporters of dual-use commodities, Note: The Export Control Organisation neither monitors nor endorses non-governmental providers of information
7. Contact
Email: eco.help@bis.gsi.gov.uk or call our helpline on 020 7215 4594.
Please note: The figures in the tables on this page represent a ‘snapshot’ of historical data, and are for illustrative purposes only. Each case is considered on its merits. Turnaround time can vary depending on goods, destination and to some extent on the information provided by exporters and their consignees/end user.