2026 AGENDA

In the last year, we have experienced a myriad of geopolitical change on the world stage. From sweeping tariffs from one day to the next, to divergences in policies and priorities between the US and Europe, there have been many surprising sanctions and export controls developments. New trends, such as AI-powered geopolitical risk monitoring stronger interplay between sanctions and export controls, heightened enforcement on big-tech, and EU (!) sanctions possibly affecting US businesses, can imperil a company’s performance if not managed properly.

In this session, experts will explore what is next, how to integrate geopolitical risk in your compliance program, and how to manage evolving new sanctions, supply chain disruptions and enforcement risks.

“In recent years, the US government has increased sanctions on Mexican cartels and Chinese chemical suppliers involved in drug trafficking. FinCEN’s orders, made pursuant to the applicable Sanctions Acts have designated three Mexican financial institutions. Now, the counter-narcotics sanctions heatmap has expanded to include countries like Thailand, UAE and even Switzerland! As such, it has become a top priority for financial institutions and exporters in the US and Europe alike! with operations in, or exposure to, jurisdictions where these cartels are active to assess their existing sanctions controls and ensure they are sufficient to minimize the risk of interacting with such designated terrorist organizations.

In this session, we will discuss the impact of these recent cartel terrorist designations and the resulting sanctions and criminal liability risks.”

In this session, speakers review the very latest US enforcement actions as well as the relevant European cases, sanctions and export controls government investigations and new priorities identified in DOJ’s Corporate Enforcement Policy and Department.

Our panel will discuss how to identify (and fix!) common compliance mistakes and provide key takeaways from recent cases involving sanctions and export controls violations. Practical topics, such as: When to do a Voluntary Self-Disclosure, will also be covered. Knowing the pitfalls could be the difference between a simple bump in the road or falling headfirst into regulatory quicksand!

There is no doubting the power and prevalence of AI in today’s compliance world. More and more businesses are now using AI not only to make their tasks more efficient, but also to enhance their screening and due diligence efforts in the coming years.

In this session, we focus on AI and tech solutions for sanctions and export compliance, digging into practical use-cases and real-world implementation methods.

Our experts will discuss, among other things, what possibilities exist from a technological perspective, Model Risk Management and Auditability requirements needed to safely implement a tool, as well as the steps to take to bring an implementation project to a successful completion, all in a way that will please the regulators.

“Think you have the Sanctions Guru knowledge it takes to win? Participate in our trivia quiz to test your real-world knowledge of sanctions regulations, export controls, and key lessons learned from enforcement cases in a fun and interactive format. But you better be quick or someone will beat you to it!

Amazing prizes to be won for those who win. So don’t miss out!”

Join our panel of experts from global enforcement agencies and come ready with your questions! Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and also receive direct updates from U.S. and international government agencies driving sanctions policy and enforcement priorities.

In the age of nuclear weapons and “forever wars,” sanctions—both unilateral and multilateral—have become preferred arrows in the quiver of U.S. foreign policy along with that of its European allies. China continues to undermine these efforts by facilitating sanctions and export control evasion on behalf of Russia, Iran, and North Korea via direct sales of dual-use items and by allowing transshipment through its territory. Increasingly, we see coordinated efforts to circumvent sanctions and export controls, through direct clearing in RMB, shadow fleet cargo vessels, and barter trade. In addition, China’s uses counter-sanctions that affect Western companies with a Chinese nexus.

This panel will discuss the state of play on China, what methods China uses to evade restrictions, and how to navigate and protect against these complex risks.

In this scenario-based interactive workshop, attendees are divided into teams and presented with a scenario in which a client is an SDN-listed cartel-member-owned entity. After being presented with the “Initial Incident Report”, the teams are given time to discuss and draft their initial strategy, a self-disclosure (or not) recommendation, and three immediate remediation steps.

Once ready, Teams will have the opportunity to present their strategy to a “Simulated Regulator Panel” with speakers playing the role of OFAC/BIS/DOJ/OFSI officials. Join us as attendees and receive valuable and practical feedback on their proposed strategy in real time!

Join us as we acknowledge some of the outstanding members of our ACSS Community.