Home / Issues / Trafigura Beheer B.V.'s 2024 guilty plea to a Brazil foreign-bribery scheme
Trafigura Beheer B.V.'s 2024 guilty plea to a Brazil foreign-bribery scheme
Decidedas of 31 Oct 2026United StatesTrafigura Beheer B.V.draft
Current status
Confirmed fact · as of 28 Mar 2024
Trafigura Beheer B.V. pleaded GUILTY in US federal court to FCPA conspiracy over Brazil/Petrobras bribery; this is a criminal conviction by plea, not a deferred or non-prosecution agreement.
A U.S. Department of Justice, Swiss Commodities Trading Company Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Scheme (28 Mar 2024) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Confirmed fact · as of 28 Mar 2024
The reported total US sanction of about USD 127 million comprised a criminal fine and forfeiture.
C Compliance Week, Trafigura pleads guilty, to pay $127M over FCPA violations in Brazil (28 Mar 2024) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Unanswered question · as of 28 Mar 2024
Proceedings against Trafigura or its former personnel in jurisdictions outside the United States are separate matters and are not covered by this record.
A U.S. Department of Justice, Swiss Commodities Trading Company Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Scheme (28 Mar 2024) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Last reviewed 31 Oct 2026. An initial allegation is not the final event; this block is always shown.
How it unfolded
Issue raised · 28 Mar 2024
Proposition: The US Department of Justice charged that Trafigura Beheer B.V. conspired to pay bribes to officials of Brazil's state-owned oil company Petrobras to obtain and retain business, over a period running from about 2003 to 2014, in violation of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Affected parties: Trafigura Beheer B.V., U.S. Department of Justice, Petrobras (Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.)
Originating record: A U.S. Department of Justice, Swiss Commodities Trading Company Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Scheme (28 Mar 2024) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Response · Trafigura Beheer B.V. · 28 Mar 2024
Attributed claim · as of 28 Mar 2024
Trafigura acknowledged the resolution with the DOJ, said the conduct was historic and that it had since strengthened its compliance controls. The acknowledgement is recorded in contemporaneous reporting of the plea. — Trafigura Beheer B.V.
C Compliance Week, Trafigura pleads guilty, to pay $127M over FCPA violations in Brazil (28 Mar 2024) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Outcome · U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida) · 28 Mar 2024
judgmentbinding
Confirmed fact · as of 28 Mar 2024
On 28 March 2024 Trafigura Beheer B.V. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA, relating to the bribery of Brazilian government officials connected to Petrobras to secure business between about 2003 and 2014. The total US financial sanction was USD 126,998,297, comprising a criminal fine of USD 80,488,040 and forfeiture of USD 46,510,257. The guilty plea was entered subject to court acceptance.
A U.S. Department of Justice, Swiss Commodities Trading Company Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Scheme (28 Mar 2024) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026 · C Compliance Week, Trafigura pleads guilty, to pay $127M over FCPA violations in Brazil (28 Mar 2024) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Remedy: A criminal fine of USD 80,488,040 and forfeiture of USD 46,510,257, totalling USD 126,998,297, under the guilty plea.
Appeal/review: none — The matter resolved by guilty plea; no appeal. Separate proceedings concerning Trafigura in other jurisdictions are outside this record. A U.S. Department of Justice, Swiss Commodities Trading Company Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Scheme (28 Mar 2024) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
How to read this. Allegation, response and outcome are separate, dated records. "Decided/resolved" appears only where a cited outcome supports it. Materially affected parties can request a correction via Corrections & response.