CGSS case studies

CGSS · Put your knowledge to work in context.

The Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS) is a professional credential for people whose work touches economic and trade sanctions: compliance officers at banks and fintechs, screening and investigations analysts, trade finance staff, lawyers, and consultants advising on cross-border exposure. It signals that the holder can read a sanctions programme, apply it to a transaction or a customer relationship, and defend the decision. The CGSS case studies are 5 cases and about 4,174 words.

The Aggregation Trap: Minority Stakes and the 50 Percent Rule

Meridian Petrochem Trading Ltd is a UAE free-zone commodity trader applying for a USD operating account at a Singapore bank. Its shareholder register shows: (i) Ardent Assets Ltd at 26%, designated by OFAC in 2023; (ii) Crestline Holdings Ltd at 24%, wholly owned by a separate OFAC-designated individual; (iii) a Cayman fund holding 4%, in which the same Ardent-designated owner holds exactly 50%; (iv) a Gulf family office at 40%; and (v) management at 6%.

863 words, about 4 min 2

Two Masters: US Secondary Sanctions and the EU Blocking Statute

Nordwind GmbH, a Düsseldorf pump manufacturer, is wholly owned by a Delaware parent. An Iranian petrochemical operator wants EUR 4.2 million of standard industrial pumps for a plant expansion.

834 words, about 4 min 3

Thirty-Day Clean-Up: Post-Acquisition Sanctions Remediation

Harbor Capital closes its acquisition of a UK specialty chemicals distributor on 1 March. Post-close diligence reveals: sanctions screening is a manual check against a PDF of the SDN list downloaded in 2016; the distributor had an Iranian customer paying EUR 1.8 million a year that was terminated two months before closing, with EUR 400,000 of receivables still outstanding; two active customers are registered in Crimea; and a Dubai freight forwarder handles 60% of outbound shipments.

758 words, about 4 min 4

The Hit That Wasn't, and the One That Was

Orion Bank in Singapore screens 9,000 corporate customers. The tool generates about 2,400 alerts a month; 98.6% are closed as false positives, with an average handling time of four minutes.

837 words, about 4 min 5

The Price Was Right: Trade Finance Red Flags

Atlas Trade Finance receives a letter of credit application. Goods: ball bearings and bearing housings (HS 8482), USD 2.9 million CIF, from a Turkish seller incorporated seven months ago to a UAE buyer whose registered address is a virtual office.

882 words, about 4 min