Import Licensing

Import licensing is a complex of measures related to issuance and re-issuance of licenses for import of the goods. A goal of those measures is control and monitoring over the import of goods classified as sensitive fur the national security purposes, protection of life and health of citizens and environment. Import license is a permission issued by competent authority to an individual or legal entity for importing the goods subject to licensing.

In the frame of WTO, import licensing is regulated by the WTO Agreement on the import licensing procedures. This Agreement recognizes rights of states to introduce the goods import licensing only in the cases specified in the GATT's Articles XX «General exceptions» and XXI «Security exception».