Compliance in the spotlight as tariffs, sanctions turn into geopolitical weapons

Navigating tariffs and sanctions is fast becoming a core and growing part of the compliance role for an increasingly wide range of companies. As the U.S. and other countries expand the use of economic policies to achieve political aims, compliance teams across the world are having to understand and adapt to a new trend in geo-economics.

Logistics and transport companies, unsurprisingly, cite sanctions and tariffs as one of the most important (and problematic) parts of their compliance work. But the latest Gartner Quarterly Emerging Risk Report, published July 24, ranked the escalating tariff and trade war at the top of the list of emerging risks among the 233 senior enterprise risk executives surveyed.

The increasingly blurred lines between economic policy and geopolitical strategy mean that export compliance is no longer just a legal issue — it’s also a business imperative, says Natalia Gindler Corsini, founder of corporate compliance consultancy Prae Venire. Export compliance is a critical risk for global businesses, with regulatory expectations expanding alongside geopolitical tensions, she says.