On February 9, 2023, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) issued Syria General License 23, “Authorizing Transactions Related to Earthquake Relief Efforts in Syria.” General License 23 authorizes transactions related to earthquake relief efforts in Syria that would otherwise be prohibited by the Syrian Sanctions Regulations (“SySR”) through 12:01 p.m. eastern daylight time, August 8, 2023. General License 23 does not authorize importation of petroleum or petroleum products of…
Just before the holidays, President Biden signed two bills passed in the final days of the last Congress that contain a number of provisions with implications for sanctions, export controls, and supply chain restrictions: On December 23, 2022, President Biden signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) for Fiscal Year 2023 (P.L. 117-263). The measure includes a number of provisions relating to US export controls, sanctions, and related subjects, including additional sanctions targeting…
On May 12, 2022, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) issued Syria General License No. 22 (“GL 22”), authorizing certain activities in particular sectors of the Syrian economy that are otherwise prohibited under the Syrian Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR Part 542, “SSR”) in specified regions of Syria not controlled by the Assad regime. According to the US Statement Department’s press release, GL 22 was issued in support of the Biden Administration’s…
On November 26, 2021, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) published a final rule amending the Syrian Sanctions Regulations (“Final Rule”). The Final Rule expands the existing general license at § 542.516 (the “General License”) to authorize nongovernmental organizations (“NGOs”) to engage in certain assistance-related investment activities in support of not-for-profit activities in Syria. The General License authorizes NGOs to export/reexport services to Syria in support of not-for-profit activities in Syria, i.e., humanitarian projects…