United Kingdom announced a ban on the import of goods from illegal West Bank settlements, taking effect with legislation introduced on September 8, 2026.
The UK government announced on 8 September 2026 that it will ban imports of goods made in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, through new sanctions law it expects to have in place within six to nine months1.
The ban is not yet law. The House of Commons Library says the government plans the legislation "within six to nine months" of the announcement2.
In short, goods produced in the settlements will no longer be allowed into the UK once the new law is made. Goods from Israel inside its 1967 borders are meant to keep moving as before.
What did the UK announce on settlement goods?
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office published the plan in a press release on 8 September 20261. It said goods made in illegal Israeli settlements "will no longer be allowed to be imported into the UK"1. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband set out the measures in Parliament the same day1.
What the UK plans to ban
The press release lists these planned steps1:
- a ban on importing goods from illegal Israeli settlements
- new powers to sanction people and companies that support or profit from settlement activity
- a ban on advertising land and property in the settlements
- wider human rights sanctions
The UK says it is acting together with France and Canada1. It also points to Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Norway, which have or are preparing similar import bans1.
When will the settlement import ban start?
No start date is set yet. The press release describes "new plans" and "new powers" still to be brought forward1. The Commons Library briefing of 11 September 2026 says the government plans the law to be in place within six to nine months2.
Settlement goods, now and under the planned law
| Question | Now | Under the new law |
|---|---|---|
| Allowed into the UK? | Yes, not banned | No, import ban |
| Lower tariffs under trade deals? | No | No, goods barred |
| How origin is set | Shipment papers, HMRC checks | Settlement postcodes, checks |
Until then, settlement goods are not banned at the UK border. The Commons Library noted in July 2026 that government guidance "strongly advises against" trade with the settlements but does not ban it3.
How will the UK law work?
The ban will come through a "new comprehensive sanctions regime", in Ed Miliband’s words, with religious exemptions2. UK sanctions law is made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, which allows trade sanctions on goods and services2.
The Foreign Secretary said the import ban will be based on geography2. It will cover the settlements in the occupied territories and will not hit Israel inside the 1967 lines, which the briefing calls green-line Israel2. The government has said that settlement postcodes will be identified and checks put in place2.
The government also says it will design religious exemptions after talks with the Jewish community in the UK1. The documents do not yet say which goods these exemptions will cover.
Who must check where the goods come from?
The Foreign Secretary said UK businesses, and businesses importing into the UK, will be responsible for making sure goods are correctly separated by origin2. In practice, an importer of Israeli goods will need to show that they were not made in a settlement.
Three UK bodies will take part in monitoring and enforcement2:
- HM Revenue and Customs, the UK customs and tax authority
- the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation
- the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation
The government says it will publish further guidance alongside the legislation2.
What rules already apply to settlement goods?
Settlement goods already lose the lower tariffs available under the UK’s trade deals with Israel and with the Palestinian Authority3. To claim those lower tariffs, the shipment papers must show the goods were not made in "a location within the territories brought under Israeli administration since June 1967"3. When customs doubts the declared origin, HM Revenue and Customs checks it3.
Estimated UK trade in 2025, £ million
The UK also has labelling guidelines for products from the territories occupied since 19673. These aim to stop shoppers being misled about where goods come from3.
Trade with the settlements is small in UK terms. The government estimates UK trade with the Occupied Palestinian Territories at around £38 million in 2025, against around £6 billion for UK–Israel trade3. Both figures are estimates, because the territories are in a customs union with Israel3.
How has Israel responded to the UK ban?
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, announced four steps in response2. They include closing the UK consulate in Jerusalem within 30 days2. None of the four is a trade measure.
In the Commons, shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat said the Israeli and Palestinian economies are "too interconnected" and the plan would "harm innocents"2. Foreign Affairs Committee chair Emily Thornberry backed the plan but was concerned about the six to nine months it will take2.
For shipments, the next step is the draft sanctions law and HMRC guidance, including the list of settlement postcodes, due within six to nine months of the 8 September 2026 announcement2.
Sources
- ↩ UK to bring forward new powers to respond to moral emergency in … https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukto-bring-forward-new-powers-to-respond-to-moral-emergency-in-palestine-and-targetillegal-settlement-activity-in-the-west-bank-to-protect-the-viabili
- ↩ UK-Israel relations 2026: E1 settlement plan, trade and sanctions https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-12195/
- ↩ UK trade with Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian … https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10945/