Okuzeka
International Relations & Diplomacy vocabulary · Sanctions & Economic Diplomacy

Asset freeze

Meaning in international relations & diplomacy, with examples

nounCommon term

In international relations & diplomacy, asset freeze means: A measure that stops a person, company or government from using or moving the money and property they hold abroad or in a country's banks.

In Turkish: mal varlığının dondurulması, varlık dondurma

How it is used

One of the most common forms of targeted sanctions. Banks must 'freeze' the assets of listed people and report them, and assets are 'unfrozen' when sanctions end. It is usually combined with a travel ban. Note the verb forms: freeze, froze, frozen.

Example sentences

  1. The new measures include an asset freeze on twelve officials.

  2. Under the asset freeze, no one may make funds available to the listed companies.

  3. The court ordered the asset freeze to be lifted.

Common collocations

  • impose an asset freeze
  • lift an asset freeze
  • subject to an asset freeze
  • frozen assets
  • asset freeze and travel ban
  • targeted sanctionsSanctions aimed at specific people, companies or sectors, such as officials or banks, instead of a whole country's economy, in order to limit harm to ordinary citizens.
  • sanctionsPenalties, such as trade restrictions or frozen assets, that one or more countries or international organisations impose on a state, group or person to change their behaviour.
  • travel banAn official measure that prevents certain people from entering or passing through a country, often used as a sanction against named officials.
  • secondary sanctionsSanctions that punish companies or banks in third countries for doing business with a state or person that is already under sanctions.

More terms: Sanctions & Economic Diplomacy

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