Uğur Can Hekim advises clients on all aspects of international trade, EU sanctions, export control and customs law. He represents upstream and downstream industries across a wide range of sectors in anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, and safeguard investigations conducted by the European Commission. His practice extends beyond the EU, with experience representing clients in trade remedies proceedings in the UK, Canada, and Türkiye. He also assists clients in proceedings before the General Court of the European Union in trade defence matters, as well as in interstate disputes and consultations before the WTO Dispute Settlement Body.
Uğur is a Certified Sanctions Specialist accredited by ACSS and regularly advises on EU sectoral and financial sanctions, including licensing processes and engagement with EU authorities to ensure compliance and obtain necessary approvals. He also provides guidance on emerging EU regulatory instruments, with a particular focus on EUDR and Forced Labour Ban compliance.
Languages: Turkish, English, French
References
Assisted various steel exporters in the EU’s safeguard investigation on certain steel products (SAFE009) and the reviews that followed
Assisted several EU industries (steel, chemicals, ceramics) in drafting complaints to initiate anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and anti-circumvention investigations
Assisted exporters in regular on-spot verifications ensuring the continuation of their price undertakings with the European Commission
Represented certain steel exporters throughout their EU anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations successfully leading to the lowest or 0% duties
Represented clients in the first ever anti-subsidy and safeguard transition reviews initiated by the UK’s Trade Remedies Authority
Successfully represented clients in normal value reviews and representations initiated by the Canadian Border Services Authority
Assisted the team representing a WTO Member in a dispute before the WTO Dispute Settlement Body
Represented a WTO member in its WTO consultations with another WTO member in relation to imposition of certain safeguard measures
Involved in teams representing EU and non-EU industries in their trade-related cases before the General Court of the European Union
Advised clients on claiming sanctions derogations relating to civil nuclear capabilities under Regulation EU 833/2014
Advised, as part of a team, on the divestment of shareholdings in a large multinational company in response to EU sanctions
CV
Uğur holds an LL.M. from the University of Edinburgh, a Master de Droit from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, and an LL.B. from Galatasaray University, combining all with a focus on EU, international economic, and comparative law. He has over seven years of experience at leading international law firms in Brussels, specialising in international trade and sanctions.
Publications
Steel and Base Metals in the TDI Practice of the EU, Global Trade and Customs Journal (GTCJ) New Developments in Steel and Metals Trade Special Issue 2026, pp. 138-146 (with Pieter Van Vaerenbergh)
Article 4 ADA: Definition of Domestic Industry, in: Brill & Nijhoff Commentaries on World Trade Law, Volume 3 2024 (with Marie-Sophie Dibling, Leo Amiel)
Article 5 ADA: Initiation and Subsequent Investigation, in: Brill & Nijhoff Commentaries on World Trade Law, Volume 3 2024 (with Marie-Sophie Dibling, Leo Amiel)
Presentations
Panel Moderator: Economic Resilience and National Security in IEL: Divergent Approaches of Advanced Economies and Emerging Markets at Society of International Economic Law (SIEL) Global Conference 2025 in Taipei, Taiwan (mit Prof. Henry Gao, Dr Diana María Beltrán-Vargas, Natália de Lima Figueiredo, Tim Ellemann)
Research Presenter: The EU Deforestation Regulation: Challenges and Solutions for Global Trade Compliance at Society of International Economic Law (SIEL) Global Conference 2025 in Taipei, Taiwan
Research Presenter: On the Emergence of Plurilateral Engagements: The Grain Deal Initiative as the Guardrail of the War in Ukraine at Society of International Economic Law (SIEL) Global Conference 2023 in Bogota, Colombia
Guest Lecturer: Establishing and Keeping Peace through Foreign Trade and Economic Policies? An analysis of the role of Türkiye, upon invitation by the Fachbereich Rechtswissenschaft at the Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 9 December 2022
Panel Moderator: Redirecting the World Trade Organization at Horasis Global Meeting 2021, Cascais, Portugal, 8 June2021
Panel Speaker: Trade Accords by Regional Groupings at Horasis Global Meeting 2019, Cascais, Portugal, 8 April 2019
Research Presenter: Party Autonomy within the Proposed EU Investment Court System at Edinburgh Law School Postgraduate Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland, 11 January2018
*Not admitted to the Bar in Germany