UK enforcement strategy raises the penalty and reporting stakes
The UK government’s sanctions enforcement strategy sets out OFSI, OTSI and DfT roles, civil penalties of up to £1 million or 50% of breach value, and potential imprisonment of 7 years for financial and transport breaches and 10 years for trade breaches.
BY GEOPOLITICS DESK · MAY 14, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
The UK government’s sanctions enforcement strategy sets out OFSI, OTSI and DfT roles, civil penalties of up to £1 million or 50% of breach value, and potential imprisonment of 7 years for financial and transport breaches and 10 years for trade breaches. It also says OFSI intends to double its maximum civil penalty for financial sanctions to the higher of £2 million or 100% of breach value, which gives compliance leaders a stronger case for board-level sanctions controls.