Electronics and technology distributor Ingram Micro Inc. is expanding its use of denied party screening software from Descartes Systems Group to help ensure global trade compliance in its European operations, the companies said Monday.

Ingram Micro, of Irvine, Calif., has already been using denied party screening tools from Waterloo-Ont.-based Descartes in its North American operations to minimize the risk of transacting business with parties who may be subject to trade restrictions.

"With more than 200,000 customers in 160 countries and an extensive sales and distribution network worldwide, denied party screening is an important aspect of trade compliance," Kristi Kim, director of compliance and export operations at Ingram Micro, said in a release. "As we expand our European operations, standardizing on the Descartes solution enables us to more thoroughly screen parties while maintaining the strict data privacy rules that exist in the European Union."

Descartes' MK Denied Party Screening solutions allow companies to screen customers, prospects, suppliers, employees, and partners against an international database of denied and restricted parties. Customers can tailor their screening processes to fit their unique risk parameters, flag potential compliance issues for resolution, and integrate denied party screening information with enterprise resource planning (ERP) and global trade management (GTM) systems.

Descartes expanded its portfolio of denied party screening tools in 2015 when it acquired Columbia, Md.-based MK Data Services LLC for $83.5 million, saying the move would help its clients comply with trade regulations by screening their customers and suppliers.