Know who you ship to before the label prints
Counterparty Watch screens your customers, consignees and end users against the US Consolidated Screening List and the UK, EU and UN sanctions lists, then rechecks them every day. You get a short review queue and a dated log of what you checked and when.
Updated
- One screen across 13 US export and sanctions lists, plus the UK Sanctions List, the EU financial sanctions list and the UN Security Council list
- Fuzzy name and address matching with a reason shown for every possible match, so you can clear false hits in seconds
- Daily rescreening of every party you have saved, with an email when a new listing touches one of them
Screening is the exporter's job, and the lists keep moving
Every US exporter is expected to know who is on the other end of a shipment. The free Consolidated Screening List search is a good start for one name. It is not built for a few hundred customers, for rechecking them when a list changes, or for showing a freight forwarder or a bank what you checked last March.
The lists also move. The UK closed its old OFSI Consolidated List in January 2026, so a tool still reading that file misses new UK designations. In the US, the Affiliates Rule, which extends Entity List restrictions to companies 50 percent or more owned by listed parties, is suspended, and BIS has filed a rule, due to be published on 9 November 2026, that keeps it suspended until 10 January 2027. It is paused, not withdrawn. Name screening alone does not catch such a subsidiary, so you also need a record of the ownership questions you asked.
Established screening platforms are priced for compliance departments. A small exporter needs the same core check, a daily rescreen and a clean log, at a small-business price.
- The US Consolidated Screening List combines export and sanctions lists from Commerce, State and Treasury in one free search and API. The International Trade Administration says a possible match needs further due diligence and the official Federal Register listing should be checked (checked 7 November 2026). Source: trade.gov
- The OFSI Consolidated List closed on 28 January 2026; since then the UK Sanctions List is the only source of UK sanctions designations. Source: gov.uk
- On 5 November 2026 BIS filed a final rule, scheduled for Federal Register publication on 9 November 2026, extending the Affiliates Rule suspension, which was set to end on 9 November 2026, until 10 January 2027. Source: federalregister.gov
- Descartes says its denied party screening starts at a few thousand dollars a year for a basic implementation with small screening volumes and one user. Source: visualcompliance.com
Without it
- The free CSL search: The International Trade Administration's search and API are free and authoritative for the US lists. They do not…
- Descartes Visual Compliance and other enterprise platforms: Broad global list coverage, deep integrations and compliance services, priced from a few thousand dollars a year for…
With Counterparty Watch
- One screen across 13 US export and sanctions lists, plus the UK Sanctions List, the EU financial sanctions list and the UN Security Council list
- Fuzzy name and address matching with a reason shown for every possible match, so you can clear false hits in seconds
- Daily rescreening of every party you have saved, with an email when a new listing touches one of them
- US lists in one pass
- UK, EU and UN lists
How it works
- 1
Send your list
Request service and upload a CSV of customers, consignees or suppliers, or an order export from Shopify, WooCommerce or ShipStation. We confirm the plan that fits your list size by email, and once you subscribe your full list is screened and imported within 2 business days.
- 2
Review the possible matches
Each possible match shows the source list, the listed name, address and program, and why it matched. You mark it cleared or escalated, with a note.
- 3
Screen new parties as they come
Add parties in the web app, by CSV, or by API from your order or shipping system. Each check returns clear, review or blocked and is stored with the list versions used.
- 4
Let the daily rescreen run
Every saved party is rescreened daily after the lists update. If a new or changed listing touches one, you get an email with the party, the entry and a link to decide.
Features
US lists in one pass
All lists in the Consolidated Screening List, including the Entity List, Denied Persons, Military End-User and OFAC lists, from the official CSL API.
UK, EU and UN lists
The UK Sanctions List (not the closed OFSI file), the EU consolidated list of persons subject to financial sanctions and the UN Security Council Consolidated List, refreshed daily.
Explained matching
Fuzzy matching on name, aliases, address and country, with a score and reason for each hit. You set the strictness.
Ownership questions on record
For parties in higher-risk countries, a short ownership questionnaire you can send and file, so the 50 percent question is asked and answered on paper. We do not trace corporate ownership ourselves.
Screening log
Every check stored with date, list versions, result and who cleared it. Export as CSV or PDF for a forwarder, bank or auditor.
Daily rescreen and alerts
Saved parties are rechecked every day. Alerts go to one or more email addresses, and nothing is silently removed from your history.
A look inside
What you see day to day: the working view and the monthly summary.
Illustration of the layout, built from this page's own feature list. It shows no real results.
Who it's for
Small manufacturers and distributors
Screening sits with whoever books freight. You get one place to check, rescreen and prove it.
E-commerce stores shipping worldwide
Orders arrive from countries you have never shipped to. Screen buyers and ship-to addresses from your order export or by API before fulfilment.
Small freight forwarders and couriers
Your customers' consignees are your exposure too. Screen shippers and consignees on intake, with a log per client.
Works with
- Consolidated Screening List API and files (trade.gov)
- UK Sanctions List (GOV.UK)
- EU consolidated list of persons subject to financial sanctions
- UN Security Council Consolidated List
- Shopify and WooCommerce order exports
- ShipStation order export (CSV)
- QuickBooks and Xero customer exports (CSV)
- REST API and webhook
- Email alerts
- CSV and PDF screening log
Pricing
Billed monthly, cancel any time. We confirm the plan that fits your list size by email before you pay. All plans include the US, UK, EU and UN lists, daily rescreening, explained matches and the screening log. Founding customer pricing stays fixed while you remain subscribed. We onboard new accounts within 2 business days.
Orders are subject to the Counterparty Watch terms.
Starter
$39 per month
Exporters with a short customer list
- Up to 500 saved parties
- Unlimited one-off checks in the web app
- Daily rescreen with email alerts
- CSV upload
- Screening log export
- 1 user
Growth
$79 per month
Stores and exporters screening orders as they come in
- Up to 2,500 saved parties
- Everything in Starter
- API and webhook for order-time checks
- Ownership questionnaire and filing
- Up to 3 users
- Email support within 1 business day
Scale
$199 per month
Forwarders and distributors with many clients or parties
- Up to 10,000 saved parties
- Everything in Growth
- Separate logs per client
- First-pass review of possible matches by our team within 1 business day
- Up to 10 users
- Monthly screening summary
Compared with the alternatives
- The free CSL search
- The International Trade Administration's search and API are free and authoritative for the US lists. They do not rescreen your saved customers, cover UK, EU or UN lists, or keep a log for you. We use the same data and add those parts.
- Descartes Visual Compliance and other enterprise platforms
- Broad global list coverage, deep integrations and compliance services, priced from a few thousand dollars a year for one user according to Descartes. A good fit for compliance departments; more than most small exporters need.
Your first week
We confirm your plan by email, then set up your account and import your full list within 2 business days.
- Day 1: You send a CSV or order export; we confirm the plan by email and you subscribe.
- Day 2: Your account is live with your full list imported and daily rescreening on.
- Day 3–5: You clear the review queue and, on Growth, connect the API.
Security and data
- Party lists and screening results are stored in the EU, encrypted in transit and at rest.
- We use your data only to screen it; it is never shared, sold or used to train models.
- Access is limited to the users you invite and, on the Scale plan, to the named team members who review your matches.
- Screening logs are kept while you subscribe, exported on request, and deleted within 30 days of cancellation.
Guides and answers
How to use the Consolidated Screening List
What the US Consolidated Screening List covers, how to search it, what to do with a possible match, and where it stops for a small exporter.
Read the guide →The BIS Affiliates Rule and small exporters
BIS has extended the Affiliates Rule suspension until 10 January 2027. What the 50 percent rule covers, the dates, and practical steps for small exporters.
Read the guide →Questions
Do small businesses really need denied party screening?
US export rules apply whatever the company size, and exporting to a listed party can be a violation even for a small order. Whether a shipment needs a licence is a separate question about the item, destination and end user.
Is the free Consolidated Screening List enough?
For an occasional one-off check, yes. It gets hard to rely on with hundreds of customers, when lists change, when you sell into the UK or EU, or when you need a record of each check. That is the gap we fill.
What happens when there is a possible match?
The party goes to your review queue with the list entry and the reason it matched. You clear it with a note, or escalate it and hold the shipment. A true match is a reason to stop and get advice, not something the software decides for you.
Does this cover the BIS 50 percent Affiliates Rule?
Partly. Name screening finds parties that are listed. A subsidiary owned 50 percent or more by a listed party may not be on any list, so the ownership questionnaire and your own due diligence matter. We do not trace corporate ownership. The rule is suspended until 10 January 2027 under a BIS rule scheduled for publication on 9 November 2026; check the Federal Register for any later change.
Can I screen at checkout or before a label is printed?
Yes, from the Growth plan, through the API. Send the buyer's name, company and ship-to address and get clear, review or blocked back. A webhook tells your system when a daily rescreen changes a result.
Is this legal advice?
No. Counterparty Watch is screening software and record-keeping, not legal advice, and it does not decide whether a shipment needs a licence. For licensing, classification or a confirmed match, talk to an export compliance adviser or lawyer, or contact BIS or OFAC.
Screen once, rescreen every day, keep the record
US, UK, EU and UN lists, daily rescreening and a dated log, from $39 a month.
Request service