Don't treat US guidance as optional as sanctions tighten screws on 'bad actors'

A US advisory on combating deceptive shipping practices is not mandatory, but cargo lines would do well to adhere to the guidance. Otherwise, they risk greater scrutiny from the US authorities.

The advice, issued by the US Coast Guard and the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) in May, will require costly and often complicated measures.

In some cases the information sharing required to meet the guidelines would violate European Union privacy laws, a facet the US may seek to clarify in the future.