2023 TRACE Global Enforcement Report Key Takeaways
TRACE published the 2023 TRACE Global Enforcement Report (GER) last month. This is the 14th annual edition of the report. The document summarizes 47 years of enforcement activity and provides an analysis of current data and trends.
The GER data is based primarily on cases from the TRACE Compendium - an online database tracking anti-bribery investigations and enforcement actions that involve bribery of a government official across international borders. The GER analysis excludes purely domestic matters.
The 2023 GER results are largely consistent with trends seen in previous years. The United States showed a moderate increase in enforcement activity in 2023, but the volume of enforcement activity from non-U.S. enforcement agencies decreased from 2022. Overall, in 2023, there was a drop in the number of open bribery investigations conducted worldwide.
International cooperation continued in 2023. The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relied on partnerships with foreign governments and enforcement agencies, as well as several other U.S. agencies, to achieve successful investigations and enforcement actions.
Notably, Financial Services surpassed Extractive Industries in open U.S. investigations concerning bribery of domestic and foreign officials in 2023.
Note: The GER cannot provide a precise and objective measurement of global anti-corruption enforcement. Instead, it is meant to provide general information on trends in international anti-corruption efforts on a broad scale. Interested in learning more? Download the 2023 GER here.
Legal Researcher and Partner Firm Project Manager, TRACE