The Bureau of Industry and Security, the Office of Foreign Assets Control and the State Department are issuing final rules to add new requirements for exports to Cuba and for direct financial transactions with Cuban entities and subentities that State identifies on its Cuba Restricted List. Under its rule, BIS will generally deny applications for the export or re-export of items for use by those certain entities or subentities, unless such transactions are consistent with President Donald Trump’s June 16 memo charting the policy to restrict sales to certain Cuban entities. That directive expressly exempts exports of agricultural commodities, medicines and medical devices to Cuba made pursuant to the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, for example (see 1706190021). BIS is also amending its list of ineligible Cuban government officials in the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to include certain additional individuals.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has updated the entry on its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, under counterterrorism designations, OFAC said.
Russian sanctions enacted through legislation signed into law Aug. 2 will take effect starting Jan. 29, said the Office of Foreign Assets Control in guidance released Oct. 31. According to the guidance, the U.S. government will ban the export or re-export of goods or technology in support of exploration or production for deep-water, Arctic offshore or shale projects that have the potential to produce oil in any location, and in which any Russian subject to Executive Order 13662 of March 20, 2014, has either a 33 percent or greater ownership interest or ownership of a majority of the voting interests. Prohibitions that remain imposed include those implemented Sept. 12, 2014, on the export and re-export of goods or technology in support of exploration or production for deep-water, Arctic offshore or shale projects that have the potential to produce oil in Russia, or in Russia-claimed maritime area and extending from its territory, and that involve any Russian person subject to any associated directive, or their property or property interests, the guidance says.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has added seven individuals and three entities to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, under North Korea designations, and also made 53 deletions, under transnational criminal organization designations, OFAC said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has removed 157 entities from its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, under Sudan designations, OFAC said. In a separate action, OFAC added eight individuals and one entity to the SDN list under counterterrorism designations, the agency said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has added four entities to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, under nonproliferation and Iran designations, and updated the SDN entry for one entity, OFAC said. OFAC also published three frequently asked questions related to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 and the SDN list update.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control removed two individuals from its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list under transnational criminal organization designations, OFAC said (here and here).
The Trump administration is lifting sanctions blocking the property of the government of Sudan and generally banning U.S. individuals from engaging in transactions with Sudan and the government of Sudan, effective Oct. 12, Treasury said. Former President Barack Obama through a Jan. 13 executive order directed the lifting of sanctions on Sudan by July 12, 2017, before President Donald Trump postponed the termination of sanctions until Oct. 12 (see 1707120008). Effective that day, Office of Foreign Assets Control General License A will be required for certain exports and re-exports to Sudan of agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices, because of Sudan’s listing on the U.S. government’s State Sponsors of Terrorism List, Treasury said. That license will authorize all exports and re-exports of agricultural commodities, medicine or medical devices to Sudan, provided that items are shipped within 12 months of the date of signing the export or re-export contract. Further, individuals will still need to be licensed by the Bureau of Industry and Security to export or re-export to Sudan certain items on the Commerce Control List. The State Department is issuing a notice in the Federal Register stating that Sudan has taken several positive actions that warrant the lifting of sanctions.
BIS is denying export privileges for six individuals for export control law violations, the agency said. BIS denied export privileges for Tayabi Hussain until Oct. 3, 2026 for exporting optical and telescopic equipment and several sets of gas turbine mobile generators from the U.S. to Iran; Shehzad John until Aug. 1, 2026, for exporting to Pakistan an optical scope, laser aimer, laser sight and an AR-15 30 mm red dot sight without the required Commerce Department licenses; Shantia Hassanshahi until Dec. 12, 2021, for conspiring to export "goods and technology" from Canada to Iran without the required Office of Foreign Assets Control license; BIS is also denying export privilidges for Robert Shubert until Oct. 15, 2024, for exporting dual-sensor night vision goggles from the U.S. to Japan without required State Department licenses; Mark Henry until Nov. 19, 2025, for exporting to Taiwan "ablative materials for use, among other things, as a protective coating for rocket nozzles," designated on the U.S. Munitions List (USML), without the required State license; and John Stribling until July 6, 2021, for exporting to Indonesia two pistols and two rifles designated on the USML without required State licenses.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has added 26 individuals and 10 entities to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, under North Korea designations, OFAC said.