Maritime Sanctions Screening
OFAC SDN, UN Security Council, EU consolidated list, and the OpenSanctions maritime dataset — each updated on a different schedule, each in a different format. ArcNautical queries all of them simultaneously against the vessel, its owner, and every entity in the corporate chain.
Three Lists, One Query
The Specially Designated Nationals list maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. The primary sanctions tool of the United States. Designations can appear with minimal notice and carry strict liability: any transaction involving an SDN entity is prohibited.
The consolidated sanctions list maintained under Security Council resolutions. Covers individuals, entities, and vessels associated with designated regimes. Binding on all 193 UN member states. Updated through committee decisions and resolution amendments.
The OpenSanctions maritime dataset consolidates EU Financial Sanctions Facility, national registries, and investigative databases into a single searchable index. Coverage includes shadow fleet vessels, deceptive shipping practices, and ownership networks used for sanctions circumvention.
Beyond Vessel-Level Screening
A vessel-name-only sanctions check is trivially easy to evade. Rename the vessel, reflag to a new jurisdiction, layer ownership through shell companies. The entity itself may not appear on any sanctions list — but its beneficial owner does. ArcNautical screens the entire ownership chain.
When you screen a vessel on ArcNautical, we do not stop at the vessel name and IMO number. We resolve the registered owner through the GLEIF LEI registry, walk the corporate parent chain to the ultimate beneficial owner, and screen every entity at every level against all three sanctions lists. A vessel can be clear at the surface while its parent company three layers up has an active OFAC designation.
Shell company jurisdictions flagged: Marshall Islands, Panama, Liberia, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Bahamas, Seychelles, Mauritius, and 7 more.
Every sanctions screening produces a timestamped report documenting which lists were checked, which entities were screened, and what the result was. This creates the documentation trail that regulators expect. When an auditor asks "how did you verify this vessel was not sanctioned," the answer is a structured PDF, not an analyst's memory of which tabs they had open.
Reports include: screening timestamp, data source versions, entity-level results, match confidence scores, methodology notes.
Screening Scope
Standard screening checks one or two identifiers. ArcNautical checks nine, because sanctions designations can target any of them.
Current name and all known prior names. Vessels are frequently renamed to evade detection.
Permanent vessel identifier assigned by the International Maritime Organization. Cannot be changed.
Maritime Mobile Service Identity. Can change when a vessel reflaqs, so we check both current and historical.
The legal entity listed as the vessel's owner. Often a single-purpose company in a low-disclosure jurisdiction.
Every parent company and ultimate beneficial owner identified through the GLEIF LEI registry and OpenOwnership.
The commercial operator and technical manager, which may differ from the registered owner.
Current flag and flag history. Serial reflagging is a known sanctions evasion tactic.
Withdrawal of classification by IACS members can signal sanctions-related concerns.
Jurisdiction transparency scoring across 20+ known shell company registration territories.
Built For
Enter a vessel name or IMO number and get sanctions results across OFAC SDN, UN Security Council, and OpenSanctions maritime — including every entity in the ownership chain.
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