Want to be ahead of the headlines?
Year in Review: How Sanctions Changed in 2023 with 17 charts
2023 was another historic year in sanctions activity after 2022 saw the largest number of targeted sanctions adopted on record. Russia solidified its position as the most sanctioned country globally as a result of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but the number of sanctions levied in response to Hamas’ October attack was limited. Meanwhile, countries like Iran, Belarus and Syria faced continued sanctions pressure.
What is OFAC’s favorite day for sanctions?
OFAC has no public schedule for which day it publishes new sanctions, but there is a clear favorite: Friday. From 2 June 2021 to 2 June 2022, OFAC issued 98 separate sanctions announcements, with Thursdays and Fridays accounting for 50% of total announcements. But, this practice enables sanctions, creating a gap between announcement and implementation.
2021 Sanctions in 12 Charts
In 2021 China rapidly grew its sanctions program, the US and EU renewed focus on corruption and human rights abuses globally, the US increased its crypto offensive and for the first time in perhaps a decade, Iran was not a major focus. See this and more to round up the year in global sanctions.
Human Rights Sanctions in 5 Charts. Who Applies Them, and Where?
Sanctions programs focused on human rights and corruption are increasingly at the forefront of the public debate. However, the data shows significant disparities between designations between US, UK, EU, and Canada programs. These graphs show the distribution and depth of each human rights sanctions program to date in preparation for Human Rights Day.
Export Control Tracker Fourth Edition: November 2021
Commerce announced the addition of 31 entries to the Entities List in November, including eight firms in China involved in the development or acquisition of quantum computing capabilities and 16 China- and Pakistan-based entities involved in Islamabad’s nuclear program. BIS additionally reached an agreement with a US-based firm over unauthorized exports to Huawei in the bureau’s first enforcement action since the 2019 adoption of export controls against the Chinese tech firm.