Annual Trade Compliance Survey: Key Findings for 2025

Certivade's annual trade compliance survey, conducted among 820 trading company executives across 54 countries, identifies anti-money laundering obligations and sanctions screening as the most significant compliance challenges for the industry in 2025. 73% of respondents reported that compliance costs increased year-on-year, with an average increase of 18% reflecting expanded regulatory requirements, enhanced due diligence obligations, and technology investment needed to keep pace with evolving sanctions regimes. Sanctions compliance emerged as the most operationally complex area: 61% of respondents indicated they had declined or reviewed a transaction due to sanctions concerns in the past 12 months, up from 44% two years ago. The survey identifies a significant compliance capability gap between larger companies and smaller operators. Companies with more than $100 million in annual revenue reported dedicated compliance teams averaging 4.2 full-time equivalents, while those with under $10 million averaged just 0.3 FTE dedicated to compliance — often a part-time function for a senior commercial employee.