Sanctions fines in the United Kingdom: companies fined and amounts

Good to know

• OFSI publishes some breaches without a fine: Wise Payments Limited and Vanquis Bank Limited are listed as breaches published, no fine.
• Svarog Shipping & Trading Company Limited was fined for not answering an OFSI information request on time, not for a breach of an asset freeze.
• Airbus Operations Limited concerns export control record keeping, not sanctions.
• HMRC compound settlements are settlements, not convictions. HMRC also publishes settlements without the name of the company.
• OTSI, the UK authority for trade sanctions, had not published any penalty as of 13 November 2026.
• No named UK case was found for crypto, insurance, asset managers, logistics and freight forwarders, ship brokers, metals and import-export traders.

Cases

Cases shown: 17 of 17

Select a column heading to sort the table. Amounts are shown in the currency of the decision and are never converted.

Totals by year and by authority

Sums of the amounts imposed on companies in this list, by currency, never converted. Not included: breaches published without a fine, anti money laundering penalties, confiscations and amounts imposed on individuals. A total marked about or more than includes an amount that the source gives as approximate or as a minimum.

By year

By authority

Maximum penalties set by law

Maximums in the law, as verified on the official texts linked:

• United Kingdom, OFSI (financial sanctions): civil penalty up to the greater of £1,000,000 or 50% of the value of the breach; criminal offences up to 7 years in prison. Civil liability is strict since 15 June 2022. (Official source 1) (Official source 2)
• United Kingdom, OTSI (trade sanctions): civil penalty up to the greater of £1,000,000 or 50% of the value since 10 October 2024, with strict civil liability; under customs law (CEMA section 68) up to 14 years in prison since 22 February 2024 (previously 7 or 10 years). (Official source 1) (Official source 2)

Frequently asked questions

How much can a company be fined for breaching UK sanctions?

United Kingdom, OFSI (financial sanctions): civil penalty up to the greater of £1,000,000 or 50% of the value of the breach; criminal offences up to 7 years in prison. Civil liability is strict since 15 June 2022. United Kingdom, OTSI (trade sanctions): civil penalty up to the greater of £1,000,000 or 50% of the value since 10 October 2024, with strict civil liability; under customs law (CEMA section 68) up to 14 years in prison since 22 February 2024 (previously 7 or 10 years).

Which companies have been fined in cases involving this country?

This page lists 17 published cases. The largest amounts are: Illumina Cambridge Limited (HMRC, Compound settlement (not a conviction), September 8, 2026): £7,438,840.13; Airbus Operations Limited (HMRC, Compound settlement for export control breaches (not sanctions), July 30, 2026): £6,409,388; Citibank, N.A., London Branch (OFSI (HM Treasury), September 2, 2026): £4,732,830.58; British American Tobacco p.l.c. (OFAC (US Treasury), April 25, 2023): $508,612,492. OFSI publishes some breaches without a fine: Wise Payments Limited and Vanquis Bank Limited are listed as breaches published, no fine.

Can a UK company be fined without knowing that the counterparty was sanctioned?

Yes, for civil penalties. Since 15 June 2022 OFSI no longer has to prove that a person knew or had reasonable cause to suspect a breach (Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022, section 146(1A) of the Policing and Crime Act 2017). Civil liability is also strict for the trade sanctions enforced by OTSI.

Who fines companies for sanctions breaches in the UK?

OFSI (HM Treasury) for financial sanctions; OTSI, which can impose civil penalties for trade sanctions breaches since 10 October 2024; and HMRC, which enforces trade sanctions and export controls under customs law and can agree compound settlements. Criminal cases are decided by the courts.