Import, Export and Customs Powers (Defence) Act 1939

1 Control of importation and exportation

(1) The Board of Trade may by order make such provisions as the Board think expedient for prohibiting or regulating, in all cases or any specified classes of cases, and subject to such exceptions, if any, as may be made by or under the order, the importation into, or exportation from, the United Kingdom or any specified part thereof, or the carriage coastwise or the shipment as ships' stores, of all goods or goods of any specified description.

(2) An order under this section may be varied or revoked by a subsequent order.

(3) An order under this section may suspend wholly or in part the operation of any enactment, proclamation, Order in Council or order prohibiting or regulating the importation, exportation, shipment as ships' stores or carriage coastwise of any goods; and an order under this section may contain such provisions (including penal provisions) as appear to the Board of Trade to be necessary for securing the due operation and enforcement of the order.

(4) For the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared that, without prejudice to the provisions of the enactments relating to customs with respect to ships and aircraft, the taking into or out of the United Kingdom of ships or aircraft may be prohibited or regulated by an order under this section as an importation or exportation of goods, notwithstanding that the ships or aircraft are conveying goods or passengers, and whether or not they are moving under their own power.

(5) Notwithstanding anything in section eleven of the [42 & 43 Vict. c. 21.] Customs and Inland Revenue Act, 1879, a prosecution for an offence under an order made in pursuance of this section may, in England or Northern Ireland, be instituted by, or under the authority of, the Board of Trade.