FATF

Sanctions

Financial Action Task Force — intergovernmental body setting standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

Sources

1. Financial Action Task Force — Who we are fatf-gafi.org accessed 22 September 2026

The FATF describes itself as “the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog”, and states that it “was established in 1989 and is based in Paris”. It sets standards rather than law: its Recommendations take effect through national legislation, and countries are assessed against them — which is why a jurisdiction’s FATF standing affects how banks elsewhere treat its trade payments.

The FATF’s own description. The observation about its effect on trade finance is this lexicon’s.

Related terms

• AML Compliance
• Denied Party Screening
• Dual Use Goods
• End User Certificate
• EU Sanctions
• OFAC

From the AJG lexicon archive (July 2026).