The Office of Foreign Assets Control added to its Specially Designated Nationals list due for counter-terrorism on Dec. 1, it said (here). It also added individuals and entities linked to the Syrian conflict and North Korea to the SDN List on Dec. 8 (here).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a six-month general license—“GL 20”—to allow trade-related transactions otherwise barred by Burmese Sanctions Regulations (BSR), the department said Dec. 7 (here). The license opens up the possibility for certain transactions that result from exports to or from Myanmar involving specially designated nationals (SDNs), and SDN-owned entities involved in trade to or from Myanmar. Among the current prohibitions that remain in effect are the import of Burmese-origin jadeite, rubies, and jewelry containing those materials. The license authorizes the transactions until June 7, 2016, and allows U.S. financial institutions to unblock and return transactions blocked on or after April 1, 2015, that would have been granted authorization if the general license had already been authorized. “Today’s general license supports the prior easing of U.S. economic sanctions on Myanmar in response to significant positive reforms in the country, while maintaining targeted sanctions against specific individuals and entities,” it said. OFAC issued the license in response to “unintended interruptions” to Burmese trade because of sanctions concerns with a “key” Rangoon port, said the State Department in news release (here).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is asking for comments by Jan. 6 on the effectiveness of its licensing procedures for the export of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices to Sudan and Iran (here). The comments will assist OFAC as it compiles its biennial report to Congress for the time period Oct. 1, 2012 to Sept. 30, 2014, it said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control updated its list (here) of medical supplies that are approved for export or reexport to Iran. The list is due for publication in the Federal Register on Dec. 1, but was effective Nov. 2. The items are defined as medical supplies under the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations. Approved items fall under the following categories: General Medical Equipment and Supplies, Anaesthesiology, Apparel, Cardiology, Dental equipment and supplies, Gynecology & Urology, Inherited Preventative Care, Laboratory, Nephrology, Neurology, Obstetrics and Maternity Care, Ophthalmology and Optometry, Otology and Neurotology, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Radiology, Sterilization, and Surgery.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control added to its Specially Designated Nationals list due to Kingpin Act violations on Nov. 24, it said (here). It also added individuals and entities linked to the Syrian conflict to the SDN List on Nov. 25 (here).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control recently removed several entities and individuals previously sanctioned for counter-terrorism and Cuban embargo reasons from the Specially Designated Nationals list. The agency announced on Nov. 17 (here) the removal of Nasir Al-Wahisi, a Yemeni national, from the SDN list. A subsequent notice on Nov. 19 (here) said OFAC is removing individuals and entities from Colombia, Honduras, Italy, Spain, Panama, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two individuals and companies allegedly linked to Los Urabenos, a well-known Colombian drug trafficking and criminal organization, the agency said in a release (here). OFAC added the group to OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals list in 2013 (see 13060308). The following Colombian individuals and companies are now listed on the SDN List:
The Office of Foreign Assets Control added the following individuals and entities to the Specially Designated Nationals list on Nov. 5 (here):
U.S. agencies are increasingly collaborating in developing export regulations, bringing more integration and effectiveness to the administration in that policy field, top-ranking officials from the Commerce, State, Defense and Treasury departments said during a Nov. 3 panel at the Bureau of Industry and Security’s 2015 Update conference. The administration isn’t yet ready to overcome ongoing challenges in its drive to create a single licensing agency for exports, but that effort continues, said Directorate of Defense Trade Controls Deputy Assistant Director Brian Nilsson. BIS officials made a strong pitch for that single agency, which they refer to as Phase III of Export Control Reform, the day before (see 1511020024).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control temporarily lifted sanctions on Oct. 30 on nine Belarusian commercial entities, paving the way for possible imports from and exports to those companies, OFAC said (here). That authorization expires on April 30, 2016, unless otherwise extended. A 2006 executive order blocked all dealings with those entities and others. U.S. persons that engage in authorized transactions with the companies that exceed $10,000 will have to file a report with the State Department, OFAC said in the release.