A single shipment routed through the wrong intermediary, or a payment processed for a counterparty that should have been screened more carefully, can expose an organisation to regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and the sudden loss of banking relationships. This is the practical risk that sits behind the compliance language of economic sanctions and export controls, and it is where Economic Sanctions and Export Controls Training Courses begin, before moving into the full regulatory and operational picture organisations need to manage.

Organisations operating across international markets, managing global supply chains, or handling cross-border payments cannot treat sanctions and export control exposure as a one-time check. Geopolitical conditions, trade restrictions, and enforcement priorities shift continuously, which is why Arab British Fellowship Training Academy built this corporate-focused programme around structured, repeatable processes for identifying, assessing, and managing exposure, rather than a static list of rules to memorise.

The course examines economic sanctions, trade embargoes, restrictive measures, export licensing, sanctions screening, dual-use goods, and end-user risk as connected parts of the same operational problem. Participants also examine OFAC compliance and the broader implications of US sanctions exposure, since transactions with only an indirect US connection can still create meaningful regulatory risk, and secondary sanctions can extend that exposure further than many organisations initially assume.

Rather than treating compliance as a legal function operating in isolation, the programme builds the practical relationship between regulatory requirements and everyday corporate decision-making, covering internal controls, red-flag identification, escalation, and documentation across legal, finance, procurement, logistics, sales, and risk functions. Positioned within Diplomacy and International Relations, the training gives professionals a commercially relevant understanding of international sanctions and export control environments.

• Understand what triggers regulatory exposure. Participants examine the structure and commercial implications of economic sanctions, trade embargoes, and restrictive measures affecting trade, finance, and investment.
• Screen counterparties before the transaction, not after. The course develops practical screening capability covering customers, suppliers, intermediaries, financial institutions, and other transaction parties, including how to handle false positives and escalation.
• Assess OFAC compliance and US sanctions exposure realistically. Participants examine sanctions policies, risk assessment, internal controls, and management oversight relevant to transactions with a US connection.
• Recognise where secondary sanctions extend risk further. This covers jurisdictional analysis, transaction structure, and counterparty relationships that can create exposure beyond a direct designated party.
• Apply export control requirements correctly. Participants examine licensing requirements that depend on the product, destination, end user, and end use, including dual-use goods, software, and technology classification.
• Identify end-user, end-use, and destination risk. The course addresses customer due diligence, diversion concerns, and red flags relevant to complex distribution networks.
• Spot red flags before a transaction proceeds. Participants learn to evaluate unusual routing, unclear end users, inconsistent documentation, and other indicators in context rather than in isolation.
• Build governance that survives an audit. The programme covers internal controls, escalation mechanisms, monitoring, investigations, and recordkeeping that support a defensible compliance programme.

Target Audience

• Compliance and risk professionals, including sanctions specialists and internal control teams.
• Legal and corporate affairs teams examining the relationship between sanctions obligations and commercial transactions.
• Finance and banking professionals managing sanctions-related payment risk and transaction controls.
• Procurement and supply chain professionals assessing how sanctions and export controls affect suppliers and logistics.
• International business and trade managers responsible for commercial planning and transaction approval.
• Senior management and business leaders overseeing governance responsibilities tied to sanctions exposure.
• Export control and trade compliance personnel handling documentation, licensing, classification, and screening.

Modules

Module 1: One Shipment, One Fine — Why Sanctions and Export Control Failures Happen

• How a single overlooked transaction creates regulatory and reputational exposure
• Country-based, sectoral, financial, and entity-focused sanctions measures
• Why sanctions and export control risk needs continuous, not one-time, management

Module 2: Restrictive Measures and Trade Embargoes in Practice

• How restrictions affect goods, services, finance, and investment relationships
• Identifying applicable jurisdictions and overlapping compliance regimes

Module 3: Screening Counterparties Before the Transaction, Not After

• Screening customers, suppliers, intermediaries, and financial institutions
• False positives, screening escalation, and data quality challenges
• Maintaining evidence of compliance decisions

Module 4: OFAC Compliance and US Sanctions Exposure

• Sanctions policies, risk assessment, and internal controls
• Evaluating potential US exposure through counterparties, financial channels, and goods
• Management commitment, testing, and training as compliance components

Module 5: Secondary Sanctions — When Risk Extends Beyond the Direct Transaction

• How exposure can extend beyond a directly designated party
• Jurisdictional analysis and transaction structure considerations
• Assessing international business risk across supply chains and financial institutions

Module 6: Export Controls and Who Is Responsible for What

• Export, reexport, and transfer considerations
• How licensing requirements depend on products, destinations, and end users

Module 7: Dual-Use Goods, Technology and Software

• Classification principles for items with civilian and military applications
• Controlled technologies and commercial transaction risk

Module 8: Knowing Your End User, End Use and Destination

• Customer due diligence and end-user verification
• Destination risk, diversion concerns, and intermediary relationships

Module 9: Classification and Licensing Decisions

• Product classification against control lists
• Licensing requirements, exceptions, and documentation
• Internal review processes before shipment

Module 10: Spotting Red Flags Before They Become Violations

• Unusual routing, unclear end users, and inconsistent documentation
• Unexpected payment structures and opaque ownership
• Assessing indicators in context rather than in isolation

Module 11: Building Governance That Actually Prevents Violations

• Policies, approval processes, and responsibility allocation
• Employee training, monitoring, testing, and internal audits
• Investigations, evidence preservation, and management reporting

Module 12: Supply Chain Risk and Strategic Risk Management

• Diversion risk across distributors, brokers, and transhipment arrangements
• Incorporating regulatory considerations into market expansion and supplier selection
• Proportionate, structured decision-making at the senior management level

FAQs

What are Economic Sanctions and Export Controls Training Courses?

Corporate-focused training in economic sanctions, export controls, restrictive measures, sanctions screening, trade embargoes, dual-use goods, licensing, and related compliance processes.

Who should attend?

Compliance, legal, finance, procurement, supply chain, logistics, international trade, risk management, and senior management professionals involved in cross-border business.

Does the course cover OFAC compliance?

Yes, including sanctions screening, internal controls, risk assessment, governance, and the management of potential US sanctions exposure.

Are dual-use goods covered?

Yes, including classification, end-use and end-user considerations, licensing requirements, and diversion risks.