On February 25, 2022 the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released, . OFAC also published several new General Licenses and amended several existing General Licenses to authorize activities that would otherwise be prohibited 0000016950 00000 n How do party walls affect commercial real estate deals? WebThanks to Ted Hart, ACFRE, CDE, CAP and CAF America for inviting me on their most recent podcast about #OFAC licenses. OFAC administers and enforces economic sanctions against countries and individuals, including those persons and entities designated as terrorists. [FR Doc. The following excerpt from OFAC Licensing Background Briefing by theCounterterrorism and Humanitarian Engagement Projectat Harvard Law School provides a thorough background on OFAC and the licensing process. OF THE TREASURY (Feb. 24, 2023), https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1298. Many countries facing ongoing disasters and humanitarian emergencies also continue to face broad-ranging sanctions that grantmakers must still comply with. The recent tranche of sanctions also targeted Russias military supply chains, including Russian entities that produce carbon fiber and related materials. provided in . Call Us At (954) 767-6333. at a difficult time for the country of Afghanistan, as it faces the threat of a public health crisis, drought, and economic collapse. 0000003814 00000 n Although Russian banks comprising eighty percent of the total Russian banking sector assets are already subject to U.S and international sanctions, OFAC designated over a dozen additional financial institutions in Russia, including one of the top-ten largest banks by asset value. If authorized legal services are provided to those parties, then the payment for those services or reimbursement for any incurred expenses must be specifically licensed or comply with 31 C.F.R. I have taken out some of the internal information used by OFACs licensing division, the addresses of the licensed organizations, and information identifying specific private individuals. OFAC has the authority both to enforce these laws, by freezing the assets of any U.S. group or individual who violates them, and to provide exceptions to these laws through licenses. What is interesting, however, is that OFAC has not remained consistent in implementing the change from quarterly to annual reporting under these types of authorizations. 560.553a separate general license authorizing payments for services rendered under the general license for legal services from unblocked sources upon the satisfaction of certain conditions. 2OFAC also issued several Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) providing further guidance relating to the imposition of sanctions on Russias metals and mining sector. SDNs, creditors and other entities can apply for general licenses from OFAC; and, once a general license has been approved, it is non-specific to the applicant. New General Licenses OFAC issued six new general licenses on April 6 and five on April 7 which authorize certain types of transactions and implement wind-down periods with listed Russian banks for activities otherwise prohibited by the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations (RuHSR), as detailed in the chart below. 13224 and contains a general license authorization allowing payments for the provision of generally authorized legal services from unblocked sourcesalso maintains a quarterly reporting requirement. With certain sanctions programs, such as those programs targeting Cuba and North Korea, all foreign subsidiaries owned or controlled by U.S. companies must also comply with OFAC regulations. Although it does not appear that OFAC has published the Guidance as part of WebThanks to Ted Hart, ACFRE, CDE, CAP and CAF America for inviting me on their most recent podcast about #OFAC licenses. 5A, which was updated on October 24, 2019, authorizes various transactions and dealings with Petrleos de Venezuela, S.A. on or after January 22, 2020. On Friday, February 24, 2023, the US Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued new sanctions against individuals and entities operating in Russia and against those assisting with Russias war efforts in Ukraine. An array of sanction laws have been enacted that make it a crime for money to go to certain countries (for example, Iran and Syria) and certain organizations (for example, Hamas and al-Qaeda). 0000028289 00000 n Humanitarian aid groups often apply for licenses from OFAC so that they are able to provide services to civilians in conflict zones around the world without running afoul of U.S. sanctions law. xJx However, these FAQs also advised that OFAC will not target persons for sanctions designations pursuant to this new Directive when those persons supply of goods and services to the metals and mining sector of the Russian Federation economy is solely for the safety and care of personnel, protection of human life, prevention of accidents or injuries, maintenance or repair necessary to avoid environmental or other significant damage, or activities related to environmental mitigation or remediation. 580 0 obj <> endobj xref 580 44 0000000016 00000 n Determination Against Russian Metals and Mining Sector CAF America also encourages all grantmakers to review OFAC documents stating that the property and interests in property of an entity are blocked if one or more blocked persons own, whether individually or in the aggregate, directly or indirectly, a 50 percent or greater interest in the entity, whether or not the entity itself is incorporated into the [SDN List]. This highlights the importance of high-quality due diligence and commitment to regulatory compliance in international philanthropyespecially when giving to high-risk jurisdictions. These General License issuances and amendments included (but were not limited to): (i) the amendment of General License No. NIOS helped in fulfilling her aspiration, the Board has universal acceptance and she joined Middlesex University, London for BSc Cyber Security and With over 12 years of experience in national security law, exports control, and U.S. economic sanctions, he counsels across industry sectors representing parties in a wide range of matters from ensuring compliance to defending against federal prosecutions and pursuing federal appeals. How does a person or entity apply for a license? Jobs People Learning Dismiss Dismiss. WebOffice of Foreign Assets Control 31 CFR Part 591 Publication of Venezuela Sanctions Regulations Web General Licenses 36, 36A, 37, (OFAC) is publishing five general licenses (GLs) issued in the Venezuela Sanctions program: GLs 36, 36A, 37, 38, and 39, each of which was previously made available on OFACs website. 0000028369 00000 n First, the United States Department of State, Office of Terrorism Finance and Economic Sanctions Policy who advise OFAC on license applicationsapplied for a OFAC Licenses: Do You Need a General License or a Specific License? OFAC issues two types of licenses general and specific and all license applications must contain information that is specific type of license being sought. OFAC added Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov to the SDN list as he is linked to business dealings with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin (already an SDN since April of 2022) and has also been investigated for manipulating value-added tax revenues and money laundering. The Only Comprehensive Resource on U.S. Economic Sanctions. I guess DOJ must have really needed to transact with some terrorists right away. 0000002634 00000 n Photography by Steve Evans, unless otherwise noted. The petroleum products ban builds on a similar ban related to maritime transportation of Russian-origin crude oil that, Copyright 2023 Sanctions & Export Controls Update, Canada Further Sanctions Iranian Regime: 12 Individuals Targeted, Sanctions Enforcement Around the G7: Intro to Blog Series and View from the United States, Ukraine introduces three new sets of sanctions against persons contributing to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Japan announces further sanctions against Russia, Canada Imposes Additional Sanctions Against Russia: 129 Individuals and 63 Entities Targeted, Australia adopts further sanctions against Russia, EU adopts 10th package of sanctions against Russia, US Government Imposes New Sanctions, Export Controls, and Tariffs Targeting Russia and Belarus to Mark One-Year Anniversary, OFAC Issues Russian Petroleum-related Determinations, Updates Guidance on Implementation of the Price Cap Policy, and Amends Related General Licenses, OFAC Issues General License Authorizing Earthquake Relief Efforts in Syria, OFAC Issues Amended Russia-Related General Licenses and Related FAQs, OFAC Publishes Preliminary Guidance on Implementing the Price Cap Policy for Petroleum Products of Russian Origin. Those entities include: OFAC also designated OOO Zenit Finance, OOO Zenit Leasing, and OOO Zenit Factoring MSP as SDNs for being owned or controlled by or acting on behalf of Bank Zenit. trailer <]/Prev 201093/XRefStm 1755>> startxref 0 %%EOF 623 0 obj <>stream develop their business skills and accelerate their career program. For example, specific licenses issued under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations (FNKSR) for payments related to the provision of legal services to parties blocked under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) now only require annual reports to made on an annual basis. Andrea M. Gacki, Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control. To ensure that the new Russia sanctions and debt restrictions do not impose unintended harm on third parties and humanitarian efforts, OFAC issued eight general licenses authorizing certain transactions related to international organizations and entities ( General License 5 ); agricultural and medical commodities and the COVID-19 pandemic SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is publishing six general licenses (GLs) issued in the Venezuela Sanctions program: GLs 19, 20, 20A, The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) within the U.S. Department of Treasury is tasked, in part, with ensuring that money from U.S. persons and entities does not fall into the hands of terrorist groups. As the Founder and Principal of Ferrari & Associates, P.C., Mr. Ferrari represents U.S. and foreign corporations, financial institutions, exporters, insurers, as well as private individuals in trade compliance, regulatory licensing matters, and federal investigations and prosecutions. Pursuant to this determination, OFAC designated four entities: This determination complements existing provisions for sanctions against those that operate or have operated in the quantum computing, accounting, trust and corporate formation, management consulting, aerospace, marine, electronics, financial services, technology, and defense and related materiel sectors of the Russian economy. For example, the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR), contain a general license which permits the payment of legal services and reimbursement of incurred expenses for those legal services provided under the general license, unless the provision of services is to or on behalf of the Government of Iran, an Iranian financial institution, or any other person blocked pursuant to 31 C.F.R. How to Receive Notifications About OFAC Updates. Once issued, a specific license authorizes only the transaction or dealings covered in the license application. 0000016263 00000 n Advocating For Nonprofit Rights Since 2009, Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Organization, What to Do if the Government Knocks on Your Door. For instance, counterterrorism sanctions are authorized by diverse legal authorities, including Executive Order 13224, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA), and various sections of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).3. DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations. Start Preamble Start Printed Page 13024 AGENCY: Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury. Dismiss. Reporting requirements with respect to general or specific licenses for payment of professional fees from unblocked sources related to the provision of generally authorized legal services to blocked persons have also evolved over recent years. 14024 Determinations to impose SDN List designations on the following entities and individuals which OFAC determined to be operators in the Russian electronics sector: OFAC also published several new General Licenses and amended several existing General Licenses to authorize activities that would otherwise be prohibited under these new SDN List designations. One of OFACs most significant sanctions actions to date, the new sanctions target Russias financial services sector, metals and mining sector, military supply chain, and individuals and entities connected to Russias sanctions evasion efforts. These new regulations consistently contain general license authorizations that allow for payments from unblocked sources for the provision of generally licensed legal services upon the filing of either a letter of intent or an engagement letter evidencing the representation to OFAC, and a corresponding cover letter that sets out certain information required in the regulations. High-risk countries where previously-sanctioned activities are named in the OFAC updates include: Syria, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Belarus, Lebanon, Somalia, Yemen, and Nicaragua. Entity apply for a license entities that produce carbon fiber and related materials specific type license! 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