Financial and Trade Sanctions

Financial and Trade Sanctions (collectively “Sanctions”) are measures applied by individual countries, International Organisations, or Regional Bodies. They aim to fight aggression, terrorism, criminal behaviour, and human rights violations.

The sanctions aim to motivate a change in behaviour by the individual, regime, or jurisdiction concerned, or to deprive terrorists and criminals of access to money.

In general terms, sanctions legislation prohibits the exchange of money, services, or goods with people or entities restricted by sanctions.

The most frequent measures applied are:

  • Embargoes on exporting or supplying arms and associated technical support, training, and financing
  • A ban on exporting equipment that can get used for internal repression
  • Financial sanctions on individuals in government, government bodies, companies, terrorist groups, and individuals associated with those groups, by stopping the flow of money
  • Travel bans on named individuals
  • Bans on imports of raw materials or goods from the sanctions target
  • Bans on exportation or importation of goods to specified industries or the raising of capital for these industries.

Other measures can apply depending on the individual circumstances. A failure to follow these obligations can lead to serious consequences including criminal penalties.

Lloyds Bank has an Economic Crime Prevention policy. The policy meets requirements imposed by the UK, the UN Security Council, and other countries in which Lloyds Bank operates.  Our policy meets and, in some circumstances, exceeds the standards expected by law.

Lloyds Bank exercises a diligent risk-based approach for customer and business proposals in the following countries and regions:

  • Iran
  • Syria
  • North Korea
  • Cuba
  • Belarus
  • Russia
  • Non-government controlled Ukrainian territory which includes the Crimea Peninsula including Sevastopol, and those parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts which are for the time being controlled by an authority other than the Government of Ukraine.

If you plan to engage in business directly or indirectly, or to remit or receive money (in any currency) that may involve designated countries, regions, individuals, or entities, you must contact us in advance. Transactions can get delayed, rejected, or frozen if we are not informed.

This list is based on our current understanding, but it can change in line with evolving risks, legislation, or regulation.

Further information on financial and trade sanctions is available; see: