[2] On March 11, 2013, the United States designated the bank as falling under US executive order 13382, which applies to "proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters".
The order freezes all assets, and prohibits any transactions between US entities and the bank.
Stopping the dealing with the Foreign Trade Bank is seen as a significant signal by China to put pressure on North Korea.
[4] On August 5, 2017 the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2371 expanding financial sanctions[5] to include the bank.
[9] The United States Department of the Treasury has designated Dandong Zhongsheng Industry & Trade Co Ltd and Korea Ungum Corporation as FTB front companies, and sanctioned the Moscow-based Agrosoyuz Commercial Bank for facilitating transactions for the FTB.