Using the seven$-$step case analysis methodology: International business sounds fun: experiencing foreign cultures, traveling, and discovering new and different ways of living and working. But what if international business brings you face$-$to$-$face with corruption? That$$s entirely possible, because bribes and other forms of corruption can be acceptable business practices in some countries$\mathrm{.}30$Links to an external site. A big red flag for Americans when conducting international business is that you can$$t be a part of bribes or corruption without violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act $($FCPA$).$ The FCPA says anyone with connections to the United States can$$t engage in corrupt practices$\mathrm{.}31$Links to an external site.

Doing business in developing countries often comes with the risk of corruption. Glencore, one of the most powerful commodities, mining, and trading empires, found out in July $2018$ that it was under investigation for money laundering in violation of FCPA$\mathrm{.}32$Links to an external site. Swiss$-$based Glencore does business in mineral$-$rich countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and Venezuela$$countries that some firms are unwilling to do business in$.$ These countries provide access to minerals like cobalt, which is used in smartphones, electric vehicle batteries, and other electronic devices. The United States says cobalt is essential for American national security. And Glencore is responsible for a quarter of the world$$s cobalt production$\mathrm{.}33$Links to an external site.

For Glencore, doing business in resource$-$rich countries means dealing with companies in international markets. Glencore formed ties with Israeli mining billionaire Dan Gertler in the Congo to gain access to mines. The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Gertler in December $2017$ for underpricing mining assets that he bought, resulting in a $$1\mathrm{.}36$ billion revenue loss for the Congolese government. Glencore pleaded guilty to these charges in $2022.$ Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI$$s Criminal Investigative Division said, $$Glencore engaged in long$-$running bribery and price manipulation conspiracies, ultimately costing the company over a billion dollars in fines. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate criminal financial activities and work to restore the public$$s trust in the marketplace.$34$Links to an external site.