Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the WTO Holds Seminar on Economic Sanctions, Export Controls and WTO Law

Geneva, 16 July 2026 – On 16 July 2026, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other International Organizations in Geneva hosted an online seminar entitled “Economic Sanctions, Export Controls and the WTO Legal Framework.” The event brought together more than 50 representatives of government authorities, the business community and experts in international law.

The seminar opened with welcoming remarks by Kazakhstan's Permanent Representative to the WTO K. Torebayev. Permanent Representative Torebayev reaffirmed Kazakhstan's unwavering commitment to an open, predictable and rules-based multilateral trading system, emphasizing that legal certainty in international trade is essential for ensuring sustainable access of Kazakh exporters to foreign markets and supporting the diversification of the national economy. As Permanent Representative Torebayev noted, while the formal scope of restrictive measures introduced by major trading powers may be relatively narrow, the compliance environment they create extends far beyond their legal reach. Consequently, the practical challenge for businesses is no longer simply whether a particular rule applies, but whether a company can demonstrate, promptly and convincingly, that it does not.

The expert speaker was Dr. Manuel Sánchez Miranda, Partner at the Geneva-based law firm De Minimis Law. He is included in the WTO roster of legal experts pursuant to Article 27.2 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU). Previously, he served in the Legal Affairs Division of the WTO Secretariat and headed Mexico's WTO dispute settlement team.

The seminar covered the regulation of economic sanctions under public international law, the national security exception under Article XXI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 and its interpretation in WTO jurisprudence, the European Union's (EU) sanctions regime, export controls on dual-use goods, and the legal remedies available to WTO Members and economic operators. Particular attention was devoted to the practical application of these regimes, including due diligence requirements, compliance practices and the assessment of legal risks in cross-border transactions.

De Minimis Law is a Geneva-based international trade law firm specializing in WTO law, economic sanctions, export controls and international trade dispute settlement. The firm advises governments, multinational corporations and financial institutions and is included in the roster of external counsel maintained by the Advisory Centre on WTO Law (ACWL), of which the Republic of Kazakhstan is a Member.