US bans certain transactions with International Criminal Court

The United States has imposed additional sanctions against the International Criminal Court pursuant to Executive Order 14203 signed by President Donald Trump in February 2025.

“We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared in a statement on Friday.

The top diplomat said that despite not being an ICC member, the court is pushing for the prosecution of American citizens, elected officials, servicemembers and border patrol agents.

The Department of the Treasury has issued a set of general licences (GLs) authorising certain transactions involving the ICC to protect U.S. interests.

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These include a 180-day GL for some ICC activities, including the maintenance of its operations, and one authorising certain IT-related activities, such as cloud and software services.

Other general licences announced authorise undertakings related to the Hague-based ICC pension plan and specific activities related to ICC detainees.

The 180-day GL, Washington noted, is intended to provide time for States Parties to demonstrate progress on diplomatic and legal resolutions that address U.S. concerns regarding the ICC.

The ICC said the new sanctions affecting the entire institution were an “unprecedented step” following a series of designations against 13 independent judges and prosecutors.

In a statement, the ICC described Washington’s action as “an attempt to obstruct the course of justice” and prevent it from carrying out its mandate.

The judicial body also called it an assault on the rule of law and the foundations of the international legal order, “which strikes at the simple principle that no one stands above the law.”

ICC President Tomoko Akane said the court would continue to discharge its mandate with independence and impartiality, “for the sake of the countless victims of grave crimes”.

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