The US is seeking more than $10bn from French bank BNP Paribas to settle charges it violated US sanctions on Iran, Sudan and Cuba, according to reports.
BNP is locked in talks with the Justice Department, but the lender wants to pay less than $8bn, the Wall Street Journal claimed.
Both numbers are far higher than earlier reports of less than $4bn, and would smash the $1.9bn fine HSBC was hit with in 2012 for routinely handling money transfers for countries under sanctions and for Mexican drug traffickers.
WSJ said a final resolution of the BNP case, which related to the bank's activity in 2002-2009, is "likely weeks away".
It said the two sides are still arguing over whether the bank, as part of its punishment, will be temporarily denied the right to transfer money in and out of the US, an important part of any foreign bank's business in the country.
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