Evolving Sanctions Architectures, High-Impact Designations, and Escalating Enforcement Strategies
The sanctions landscape of 2025 marked a shift in U.S. economic statecraft, with sanctions increasingly integrated alongside tariffs, trade controls, and enforcement actions to advance strategic policy objectives. Formalized in President Trump’s December 2025 National Security Strategy, this approach emphasizes targeted economic measures over broad sanctions expansion. Outside of priority areas such as Iran, terrorism-related designations, and Venezuela, sanctions activity was more restrained in 2025 than in prior years—signaling a recalibration of pressure tools heading into 2026.
K2 Integrity’s “Sanctions Year in Review: 2025 Developments and What They Mean for 2026” provides a comprehensive analysis of the year’s most impactful sanctions measures, enforcement actions, and regulatory trends, and highlights implications for corporate compliance, risk management, and strategic planning in 2026. The report offers key insights into:
- The recalibration of U.S. sanctions strategy and its integration with export controls and enforcement
- Escalating sanctions and enforcement actions targeting Russia, Iran, and Venezuela
- The expanding role of export controls in technology, supply chain, and third-country risk
- Growing sanctions exposure tied to digital assets, facilitators, and nontraditional sectors
- What enforcement trends in the United States, EU, and UK signal for compliance programs in 2026
Gain practical insights and actionable guidance to navigate global sanctions risk in 2026.
How K2 Integrity Helps Organizations Navigate Global Sanctions Risk
As sanctions and trade restrictions become more targeted and enforcement-driven, organizations face increasing pressure to understand their exposure and implement compliance programs that can adapt to shifting regulatory and geopolitical conditions.
K2 Integrity helps clients understand the sanctions and trade restrictions that apply to their businesses and supports them in identifying, assessing, and mitigating sanctions risk across jurisdictions and sectors. We advise on sanctions risk assessments, the design and
