Hong Kong Gazettes Updated UN Sanctions Measures on Haiti and Yemen

Hong Kong has brought updated United Nations sanctions measures on Haiti and Yemen into effect, with the Customs and Excise Department issuing fresh compliance circulars to licensed money service operators on 11 September 2026.

The United Nations Sanctions (Haiti) Regulation (Amendment) Regulation 2026 was published in the Gazette as L.N. 100 of 2026 with immediate effect. According to Customs, the amendment implements decisions under UN Security Council Resolution 2794. It renews the travel ban and financial sanctions relating to Haiti and further specifies the time-limited arms embargo requirements.

Customs also published a separate circular on the United Nations Sanctions (Yemen) Regulation 2019 (Amendment) Regulation 2026. The measure was gazetted as L.N. 101 of 2026 and also took immediate effect on 11 September. It gives effect to sanctions decisions under UN Security Council Resolution 2801 and renews the financial sanctions and travel ban relating to Yemen.

Compliance implications for money service operators

Both circulars remind money service operators to follow Chapter 6 of Hong Kong’s AML/CFT Guideline for MSOs when applying measures required under the United Nations Sanctions Ordinance.

The Haiti circular goes further by reminding MSOs that new designations should be screened against client lists as soon as practicable whenever sanctions lists are updated. It also states that transactions or relationships involving designated persons or entities should be reported to the Joint Financial Intelligence Unit.

For regulated firms, the update reinforces the need to keep sanctions-screening data current and to ensure that customer and counterparty screening processes reflect changes to Hong Kong’s implementation of UN sanctions without delay.

Sources

Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department — Circular to Money Service Operators: United Nations Sanctions (Haiti) Regulation (Amendment) Regulation 2026
https://eservices.customs.gov.hk/MSOS/downloadFile?id=503954

Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department — Circular to Money Service Operators: United Nations Sanctions (Yemen) Regulation 2019 (Amendment) Regulation 2026
https://eservices.customs.gov.hk/MSOS/downloadFile?id=503957