MeridianIntermediaries
51°N 0°W · United Kingdom

Decisions rest
on assumptions.
We test them.

That a supplier is who they say they are. That a route is sound. That your compliance position holds. We test those assumptions independently, and give you the evidence before you commit.

Send a brief → Four practices
Practice
Regulated & Cross-Border Trade
Response
24h
Practices
Four
60°N 30°N EQ 30°S 60°S London · 51°N 0°W New York · 40°N 74°W Dubai · 25°N 55°E Singapore · 1°N 103°E Cape Town · 33°S 18°E N
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§ 01 — Practice

Four practices. One standard.

Each tests a different kind of assumption. All work to the same standard of evidence.

i.

Compliance

The evidence buyers, auditors and regulators expect to see.

ii.

Procurement

Bids that rest on claims you can prove.

iii.

Intermediation

Clarity on who you are dealing with, before and after you commit.

iv.

Intelligence

Where demand is real, and whether the market will hold.

Our services →

§ 02 — Perspectives

What is changing.

The shifts in regulation and supply that our clients are working through now.

ConsumerJul 2026
187Entities on the UFLPA list

The largest UFLPA expansion yet

Forty-three companies added across aluminium, apparel, copper, cotton and tomatoes. Many sit outside Xinjiang, in provinces buyers rarely check.

The sector →
MineralsNov 2026
69%China’s share of 2025 rare earth mining

A pause with an expiry date

April 2025 licensing on seven medium and heavy rare earths still applies. The wider October 2025 controls are suspended only until 10 November.

The sector →
IndustrialJan 2026
50 tCBAM annual import threshold

Embedded emissions now carry a price

CBAM’s definitive regime covers steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity. Above 50 tonnes a year, importers must be authorised and buy certificates.

The sector →
FoodDec 2026
30 DecEUDR applies to large operators

Deforestation-free, plot by plot

Cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soya and wood must be traced to the land they came from. Smaller operators follow in June 2027.

The sector →
CounterpartiesSep 2025
2 of 3Size tests for liability

Failure to prevent fraud

Large organisations are now liable for fraud by employees, agents and subsidiaries unless reasonable procedures were in place.

The sector →
DefenceFeb 2025
£5m+Contracts that must publish KPIs

The Procurement Act in force

A central debarment list and published supplier performance mean past delivery now follows a supplier into every bid.

The sector →

Sources: DHS, Federal Register, European Commission, Council of the EU, UK Home Office, Cabinet Office. As at September 2026.

§ 03 — Sectors

Where the assumptions matter most.

Seven sectors, one standard of evidence.

Specialisation

Export controls. ITAR, EAR, ECJU and OFSI.

Export controls →
§ 04 — The deliverable

Findings that hold up.

Every conclusion evidenced, traceable and reviewed before release. Open each finding to see how it is recorded.

  • EvidencedEach finding cites the record it rests on.
  • GradedConfidence is stated, never implied.
  • TraceableSources are listed so the reasoning can be checked.
Meridian IntermediariesSpecimen · Confidential
Counterparty & supply chain review

Assumption test

Ref
MI-R-0417
Subject
Tier-two supplier
Findings
Three
Tested
0 / 3
StatusIn review
§ 05 — Outcomes

When the system works as one.

Intelligence finds the demand, Compliance builds the proof, Procurement makes the case, and Intermediation governs the relationship.
→ A

Decisions tested before they are made

The assumptions behind a supplier, counterparty or market are checked while there is still time to change course.

→ B

Fewer surprises after commitment

Problems found early cost far less than problems a buyer or auditor finds late.

→ C

A record that holds up

Every finding is evidenced and traceable, so the decision stands in front of a board, a prime or a regulator.

Next step

We keep things moving.

A bid, an audit, a counterparty or a contract. Send it over, and we will come back with scope, fee and timeline within 24 hours.

Send a brief →— Reply within 24h
Container port elevation A densely detailed front-elevation line drawing of a container port in brass on deep navy. A large container ship with a raked bow, hull plating, draft marks and an accommodation block carries eleven bays of stacked containers. Two ship-to-shore gantry cranes stand on the quay: one with its latticed boom lowered over the ship, a trolley and a container suspended on the spreader, the other with its boom raised. To the right a rail-mounted gantry spans stacked yard containers. Water is drawn as layered wave lines with reflections; the quay carries crane rails, bollards, fenders and mooring lines.
Container terminal · Elevation