SECO sanctions list: Swiss records and listing history

Use listing history to understand current records

SanctionsKit’s ch-seco source reads SECO’s complete XML file. The file includes historical listings and removals. The service uses those changes to work out the periods that apply on the screening date.

An old entry remains useful evidence, but it should not become a current match merely because it exists in an archive. The file’s latest-enactment date is not used as a blanket cutoff for current status. Financial, export, travel, media, and maritime measures keep their own scope.

Keep original evidence alongside the search record

The original file retains the history for investigation. Current records and the search index serve a different purpose: they support the check for the screening date. Keep those roles distinct when explaining a result to a reviewer.

The Swiss source profile shows current records and refresh information. Source evidence may contain more detail than a searchable field. For example, vessel names can be retained while an IMO number found only in prose remains outside the structured identifier fields.

Make a separate assessment of ownership or control

SECO describes its search as an aid for finding directly sanctioned parties. It does not determine ownership or control relationships. SanctionsKit does not research those relationships either.

A no-match result therefore cannot tell you whether an unlisted company is affected through another party. Keep any ownership or control review with its own evidence and conclusion. The ownership guide explains this limit in more detail.

Inspect the form of the Swiss identifier

Check how the SECO entry supplies the identity fact you want to compare. A structured identifier and a number mentioned only in narrative text do not have the same matching support. The Swiss dataset profile lets the reviewer inspect the published context; do not promote an unstructured mention into a verified identifier merely to obtain a match.