Evolving sanctions rules make continuous screening, due diligence essential in 2025
The EU and U.K. have rushed to commit themselves to intensifying action on sanctions evasion after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, but any compliance managers who believe Trump will make global sanctions compliance easier in 2025 are likely to be disappointed.
U.K., EU enforcement regimes set to escalate, but critics question sanctions’ effectiveness
With a new political regime ready to take over in the U.S., the effectiveness of sanctions against malign foreign actors like Russia, North Korea, and Iran have come into question. While the European Union and U.K. have increased sanctions pressure, critics have publicly asked: Is it enough?
Treasury set to block investment flow on American AI, semiconductor tech to China
The U.S. Treasury Department has issued a final rule–and created a new division to oversee it–that will attempt to limit outbound investments to China related to sensitive technologies with military applications.
DOJ proposes rule that would block sale of Americans’ personal data to Chinese, Russian firms
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has proposed a new rule that would regulate the use of Americans’ personal information by foreign companies and foreign persons in six “countries of concern,” prohibiting and restricting the sale of data to thwart the use of data for cyber-enabled activities, espionage, coercion, influence and ...
Raytheon parent RTX settles false claims, defective pricing, Qatar FCPA violations for $950M
The other shoe finally dropped for Raytheon and parent company RTX, as two U.S. regulators announced nearly $1 billion in penalties to settle defective pricing in defense contracts, false claims related to inflated prices on government contracts, and bribes paid to government officials in Qatar that violated the FCPA.
DOJ steps up enforcement approach against AI-powered cybercrime
The Criminal Division of the Department of Justice plans to heighten its focus on cybercrime, according to division head Nicole Argentieri.
Chinese steel, artificial sweetener from Xinjiang now banned under UFLPA
Steel and an artificial sweetener made by two Chinese companies using forced labor have been banned from entering the U.S. under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
How lax compliance led three defense companies to give military secrets to U.S. adversaries
There are dozens of ways foreign countries can get their hands on U.S. military secrets, including cyberhacking, espionage, theft, and more. But one increasingly concerning way has been through unintentional disclosures by trusted defense contractors, including Boeing, 3D Systems Corp., and RTX Corp., parent company of Raytheon.
Chinese regulators impose six-month ban, $62M fine on PwC’s China unit
Chinese authorities banned PwC’s Chinese unit from performing audits in the country for six months, labeling the subsidiary’s flawed audit work as complicit in the failure of giant property developer Evergrande.
Strengthening BSA/AML defenses: Critical role of ERTs in modern day compliance
Enforcement actions in the first half of of 2024 by the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network highlight the importance of proactive measures in Bank Secrecy Act compliance rather than just being compliant.
U.K. forced labor ruling raises bar for supply chain monitoring
Companies will need to tighten up how they monitor their supply chains after a recent U.K. ruling determined that corporates could be open to money laundering charges if they fail to act in cases where they believe there is a risk of forced labor.
OFAC sanctions entities providing electronic components for Iranian weapons
Five individuals and seven entities in Iran, China, and Hong Kong have been targeted for U.S. sanctions by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for helping to obtain components used in Iran’s missles and drones.
Updated UFLPA enforcement strategy targets aluminum, PVC, seafood imports
U.S. Customs and Border Protection will make it a priority to check shipments of aluminum, polyvinyl chloride, and seafood from China and elsewhere in the region for links to forced labor, according to an updated Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act enforcement strategy.
DOJ orders PetroChina unit to pay $14.5M over export control violations
PetroChina International America agreed to pay a fine and forfeiture of $14.5 million to settle charges with the Department of Justice that it violated U.S. export control laws.
OFAC sanctions drug cartel over China procurement; FinCEN issues advisory
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and Secretary Janet Yellen announced sanctions Thursday against the top leaders of La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug cartel over the illicit trafficking of synthetic opioid fentanyl in the United States.
Washington state importer ordered to hire CCO in response to Lacey Act violations
A Washington state importer has been ordered by the Department of Justice to pay a $360,000 fine and hire a chief compliance officer after imported wood items the company claimed to be from Malaysia were found to be from China.
BIS’s Axelrod makes plea to financial services: ‘We want to work with you’
Matthew Axelrod, assistant secretary for export enforcement at the Bureau of Industry and Security, addressed efforts to reach financial services firms, working with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and more during his fireside chat at CW’s Financial Crimes Summit.
Additions to UFLPA Entity List signal seafood supply chain risks
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security added three China-based entities across the seafood, aluminum, and footwear industries to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List.
Panelists break down robust sanctions landscape at TPRM Summit
Sanctions compliance officers face myriad challenges as complex geopolitical situations heighten risks worldwide, experts discussed during Compliance Week’s Third-Party Risk Management & Oversight Summit.
ByteDance names global general counsel
Social media app TikTok’s parent company ByteDance announced John Rogovin will join the company as global general counsel.
Senate report cites VW, BMW, JLR for potential forced labor violations
A U.S. Senate report found three European automakers—Volkswagen, BMW, and Jaguar Land Rover—sold cars in the United States with parts sourced from a supplier suspected of using forced labor from China’s Xinjiang region.
UFLPA Entity List nearly doubles with textile industry sweep
The Department of Homeland Security announced its largest batch of additions to the list of companies blocked under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in the form of a sweep of the Chinese textile industry.
HKEX appoints group chief compliance officer
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited announced the appointment of Lilian Cheng as group chief compliance officer.
U.S. senator calls for Temu ban over forced labor, privacy concerns
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is calling on the Biden administration to investigate and ban Chinese e-commerce company Temu over forced labor and data privacy violation concerns.
New DHS strategy sets textiles up for added UFLPA scrutiny
The Department of Homeland Security announced a new strategy set to help close a loophole that allows certain textile-related shipments from China to enter the United States without scrutiny under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
CW2024 leadership panel on navigating scrutiny, prep for more change
The global political landscape should be high on the risk radar of compliance officers in 2024, according to compliance leaders speaking at Compliance Week’s 2024 National Conference, along with increased regulatory scrutiny toward forced labor, ESG, and M&A.
CBP stats show persistent problem areas under UFLPA
It’s been nearly two years since the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act took effect, and as enforcement statistics and recent reports demonstrate, many businesses are still not adequately vetting their supply chains.
PCAOB fines KPMG China partners combined $150K over audit violations
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board imposed collective fines totaling $150,000 against three partners at KPMG China for violations of standards related to their audit work at education service provider Tarena International.
FinVolution Group CCO to serve as president
Financial technology platform FinVolution Group appointed Pingping Chen to serve as president and chief compliance officer.
China-based Cloopen Group avoids fine in SEC accounting fraud case
China-based technology company Cloopen Group Holding won’t pay a fine in settling with the Securities and Exchange Commission over an alleged accounting fraud scheme perpetrated by two of its former senior managers.
What future holds for PCAOB post China crackdowns
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s first enforcement settlements with mainland China and Hong Kong firms won’t be the last, as the chair of the regulator says its “just getting started.” U.S. firms must be mindful of the specific ethical issues highlighted.
FCPA violations in China: Lessons learned from 2023 cases
Enforcement actions regarding alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act at 3M, Albemarle, Clear Channel Outdoor, and Royal Philips each had China touchpoints. Experts assess third-party risk management lessons learned from each case.
ICBC fined $32M by NYDFS, Fed over compliance lapses
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and its New York branch agreed to pay $32.4 million in penalties levied by two regulators for failing to address compliance failures and for the unauthorized disclosure of confidential supervisory information to an overseas regulator.
Ethical compliance for facial recognition technology
The lack of clear regulations and guidelines for the ethical use of facial recognition technology further exacerbates concerns of discriminatory practices and potential infringements on human rights.
Top ethics and compliance failures of 2023
A virtual currency exchange that sought to mislead regulators, banks failing after ignoring obvious risks, and a manufacturer that sold millions of its products in violation of U.S. export controls are among those that make up CW’s list of the biggest ethics and compliance fails of 2023.
LexinFintech Holdings appoints chief risk officer
Financial technology company LexinFintech Holdings announced its board of directors appointed Zhanwen Qiao as chief risk officer.
China-based PwC affiliates fined $7M in historic PCAOB actions
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board imposed $7 million in total penalties against two PwC affiliates under its first settlements with mainland Chinese and Hong Kong firms since the passage of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act.
Due diligence in China: Mitigating arrest, detention risks
Lack of transparency around how to remain within the legal bounds of China’s national security laws has heightened companies’ concerns regarding performing on-site due diligence in the country.
GE HealthCare discloses FCPA reviews into China activities
GE HealthCare said it is cooperating with reviews by the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission into potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in China.
Albemarle to pay $218M in FCPA settlements with DOJ, SEC
Chemical company Albemarle was assessed penalties totaling more than $218 million as part of settlements with the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission addressing alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act across a handful of foreign countries.
Clear Channel Outdoor to pay $26M in FCPA case over China bribes
Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings agreed to pay more than $26 million as part of a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission alleging its former China-based subsidiary bribed government officials to obtain outdoor advertising contracts.
DHS designates three Chinese companies for Uyghur forced labor
The Department of Homeland Security designated three companies to a growing list accused by the Biden administration of forced labor practices in the Xinjiang region of China.
FinCEN analysis: Trends in Russia export control evasion attempts
Analysis of suspicious activity reports by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network indicates nearly $1 billion in suspicious activity in cases of suspected evasion of Russia-related export controls.
Large companies in crosshairs early under German Supply Chain Act
Amazon, IKEA, and Volkswagen were among the companies targeted in the first round of complaints under the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act—an early indication nongovernmental organizations will seek to hold big businesses accountable for alleged human rights violations.
SEC orders 3M to pay $6.6M over FCPA violations in China
The Securities and Exchange Commission ordered 3M to pay nearly $6.6 million for alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act regarding hidden travel perks its foreign subsidiary made to government officials in China.
Lawsuit: Pfizer fired, retaliated against whistleblower who raised FCPA concerns
An ex-Pfizer compliance officer is suing his former employer claiming wrongful termination and whistleblower retaliation after discovering the company allegedly paid $168 million to potentially influential government officials in China.
Companies get say on Biden executive order restricting China tech investments
President Joe Biden’s recent executive order to restrict certain outbound investments to China offers an opportunity for companies to help shape the program by offering input through comment.
Senator pushes for probe into Microsoft’s ‘negligent cybersecurity practices’
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is calling on federal agencies to hold Microsoft accountable for “negligent cybersecurity practices” that played part in a Chinese hacking campaign that targeted U.S. government email addresses.
SEC orders Future FinTech Group to pay $1.65M over accounting lapses
Future FinTech Group agreed to pay $1.65 million to settle charges levied by the Securities and Exchange Commission for filing materially inaccurate annual reports and failing to maintain adequate books, records, and internal control over financial reporting.
CW2023: CBP official on early impact of Uyghur forced labor law
Customs agents have flagged thousands of products marked as made in Malaysia, Vietnam, or elsewhere in accordance with the UFLPA, an official from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shared during a panel at Compliance Week’s 2023 National Conference.