Since its prime in the 1990s and 2000s, the international anti-corruption regime has plunged into an ‘unprecedented crisis‘. The United States’ radically shifting posture toward corruption is undoubtedly at the center of current troubles. Just decades ago, it served as the backbone of international anti-corruption enforcement. Landmark legislation like the 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which prohibited US firms and individuals from bribing foreign officials to receive undue business advantages, catalyzed new international laws — most notably the 1997 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Anti-Bribery Convention and the 2005 United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). Their goal was to ‘internationalize’ anti-corruption measures and level the playing field by ensuring that foreign businesses faced the same kind of regulatory burden as their US counterparts.

The results were significant. The legally binding OECD Anti-Bribery Convention was ratified by 47 states, which encompass “over two-thirds of world exports and almost 90% of total foreign direct investment outflows”. In the 25 years after the Convention went into force (1999-2024), member-states sanctioned 752 individuals and over 300 entities on foreign corrupt payments charges. While the UNCAC is, by contrast, non-binding, it has been ratified by 191 countries and provides sustained monitoring of anti-corruption progress, making non-compliance visible. Yet, these gains are in jeopardy with the US’ withdrawal from the center of international anti-corruption enforcement. Shortly after his 2025 return to office, President Donald Trump suspended the FCPA. Though the pause ended in June 2025, a Department of Justice (DOJ) memo opened the door to greater discretion in the FCPA’s enforcement under the pretext of defending US business interests. The implications of weakening anti-corruption enforcement at home are magnified by the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which has curtailed transparency and accountability initiatives abroad.

With the US’ retreat, are we bound to see the global expansion of corruption? The ongoing deterioration of the international anti-corruption regime may not immediately normalize bribery; but for politically connected firms and developing countries, the consequences may still be significant. In the longer-term, the anti-corruption rollback will only foster a permissive environment for corrupt business dealings worldwide, especially for those connected to political power. Far from leveling the playing field for US corporations, the new business environment is also likely to give an edge to the US’ geopolitical rivals like China, which already impose fewer regulations and have made significant economic inroads throughout the Global South.

To assess the future of the international anti-corruption regime, we first must understand the extent to........

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