The White House issued a new executive order yesterday, pausing enforcement actions under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for 180 days. The official statement from The White House says the pause aims to reassess the act's implementation in the context of American economic and national security interests.

President of the United States stated that FCPA enforcement has gone beyond its intended scope, harming the nation's competitiveness and overburdening prosecutorial resources. The administration believes that pausing enforcement will help American companies compete globally. The order specifies that no new FCPA investigations or enforcement actions will start, and existing ones will be reviewed unless an exception is made by the Attorney General.

The pause is meant to give the Attorney General time to create updated guidelines and policies that align with the administration's focus on American economic interests. After the review period, all FCPA-related investigations must be authorized by the Attorney General and follow the new guidelines.