The Office of Foreign Assets Control added two individuals to its Specially Designated Nationals list, under Central African Republic designations, OFAC said (here).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control removed seven individuals from the list of Specially Designated Nationals pursuant to Zimbabwe sanctions regulations (here), as well as 40 other entities under counterterrorism designations (here), OFAC said. The agency also added two individuals and two entities, with ties to Mexico, under counterterrorism designations, it said.

The Internal Revenue Service issued a final rule (here) on Aug. 18 outlining exemptions and procedures for collecting a 2 percent tax on payments made by the U.S. government for foreign procurement purchases. The tax, mandated by a law passed in 2011, applies to payments from the U.S. government to foreign parties where the goods are manufactured or produced or the services are provided in any country that is not a party to the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement or a free trade agreement with the U.S. that includes procurement provisions, the IRS said. Other countries have income tax treaties with the U.S. that exempt them from the tax, and humanitarian assistance is exempt as well, among other types of contracts.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control deleted 19 individuals from its Specially Designated Nationals list, under Lebanon (here) designations and counterterrorism designations (here), OFAC said. The agency also made two changes to the SDN list.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued “General License J,” which authorizes “temporary sojourn” re-exportations by non-U.S. persons of U.S.-origin, fixed-wing civil aircraft, as well as “non-U.S.-origin fixed-wing civil aircraft of which U.S.-controlled content constitutes 10 percent or more of the total value” and that is classified under Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) 9A991.b and registered outside the U.S. or any country in Export Administration Regulations Country Group E:1, which includes Iran, OFAC said (here). The authorizations are subject to certain technical, professional and logistical criteria.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control deleted 12 individuals from its Specially Designated Nationals list, under counterterrorism designations, OFAC said (here).

Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is seeking comments on a proposed new information collection method it is submitting to the Office of Management and Budget that will allow it to collect import data through ACE, it said (here). The information collection for the ACE alternate method form would cover what data to submit through ACE under the "alternate" electronic (i.e., in lieu of paper) method for submitting partner government agency (PGA) message set data. Most of the information TTB will require in ACE is already required by TTB regulations, but there are also additional requirements, TTB said. Comments should be submitted by Aug. 27.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued general licenses under “Kingpin Act/Panama” on July 21, OFAC said (here). General License 5B is set to expire on Feb. 3, 2017, and authorizes certain transactions necessary during the reorganization of Balboa Bank & Trust by the Superintendency of Banking of Panama and the appointed reorganizer following the superintendency's seizure of Balboa to analyze and make recommendations regarding financial viability and reorganization, or to foster, negotiate or agree to Balboa's reorganization and any subsequent sale, disposition, or transfer of products. This includes software, hardware, goods and services related to bank employment and administration, and building maintenance and operations. General License 6B is set to expire on Feb. 3, 2017, and authorizes all transactions and activities otherwise banned by the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act and the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations necessary during the reorganization of Balboa Securities by the Superintendency of the Securities Market of Panama and the appointed reorganizer for inventory of assets and liabilities of Balboa Securities or to foster, negotiate or agree to Balboa Securities' reorganization and any subsequent sale, disposition or transfer of products. That includes exportation, re-exportation, or "provision, directly or indirectly," of software, hardware, goods and services related to bank employment and administration, and building maintenance and operations. Both licenses note that a separate OFAC license will be required for any transaction or activity to finalize, close or exchange assets or "any other thing of value" related to the sale, disposition or transfer of Balboa Bank or Balboa Securities involving a U.S. person or someone otherwise subject to U.S. jurisdiction. OFAC also updated two frequently asked questions about Panama-related activities.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control added eight individuals and seven entities to its Specially Designated Nationals list, under Syria and nonproliferation designations, OFAC said (here).

Treasury determined al-Qaida members Faisal Jassim Mohammed Al-Amri Al-Khalidi, Yisra Muhammad Ibrahim Bayumi, and Abu Bakr Muhammad Muhammad Ghumayn to be Specially Designated Global Terrorists, Treasury said (here). "Global Terrorist" designations include prohibitions against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide, material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with, the individuals. The designations also freeze all property and interests of the individuals in the U.S. or in the control of U.S. citizens.