In recent years, regulators have turned their focus to the maritime trade and shipping sectors, including the banks that finance world trade and the insurers that insure cargoes. In turn, trade finance and compliance teams are recognizing that regulatory risk can be associated with various aspects of a trade transaction: the goods being traded, the buyers and sellers (and their affiliates), the cities and ports along the shipping route and the shipping vessels themselves. To streamline the due diligence processes, firms often work with third-party vendors that offer specialized tools, up-to-date data, and thorough checks across a range of risk factors. Trade compliance software offers a solution for providing insight into the regulatory and reputational risks organizations wrestle with each day.