[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 10, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21497-21498]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-08361]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of Foreign Assets Control


Publication of General Licenses Related to the Burma Sanctions 
Program

AGENCY: Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury.

ACTION: Notice, publication of general licenses.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets 
Control (``OFAC'') is publishing General License No. 18 and General 
License No. 19 issued under the Burma sanctions program on November 16, 
2012, and February 22, 2013, respectively. General License No. 18 
authorizes the importation into the United States of any article that 
is a product of Burma, subject to certain limitations. General License 
No. 19 authorizes transactions involving Asia Green Development Bank, 
Ayeyarwady Bank, Myanma Economic Bank, and Myanma Investment and 
Commercial Bank, subject to certain limitations.

DATES: Effective Dates: November 16, 2012, for General License No. 18 
and February 22, 2013, for General License No. 19.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Assistant Director for Sanctions 
Compliance & Evaluation, tel.: 202-622-2490, Assistant Director for 
Licensing, tel.: 202-622-2480, Assistant Director for Regulatory 
Affairs, tel.: 202-622-4855, Assistant Director for Policy, tel.: 202-
622-2746, Office of Foreign Assets Control, or Chief Counsel (Foreign 
Assets Control), tel.: 202-622-2410, Office of the General Counsel, 
Department of the Treasury (not toll free numbers).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic and Facsimile Availability

    This document and additional information concerning OFAC are 
available from OFAC's Web site (www.treasury.gov/ofac). Certain general 
information pertaining to OFAC's sanctions programs also is available 
via facsimile through a 24-hour fax-on-demand service, tel.: 202/622-
0077.

Background

    The Department of State, pursuant to a delegation of authority from 
the President, has waived the ban on the importation of products of 
Burma set forth in section 3(a) of the Burmese Freedom and Democracy 
Act of 2003 (``BFDA'') and implemented by Executive Order 13310 of July 
28, 2003.
    Consistent with this waiver, on November 16, 2012, OFAC issued 
General License No. 18 (``GL 18'') authorizing the importation into the 
United States of any article that is a product of Burma, subject to 
certain limitations. GL 18 does not authorize the importation into the 
United States of jadeite or rubies mined or extracted from Burma, or of 
articles of jewelry containing jadeite or rubies mined or extracted 
from Burma, or any other activity prohibited by Section 3A of the BFDA, 
an amendment added by the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE (Junta's Anti-
Democratic Efforts) Act of 2008. GL 18 also does not authorize 
transactions with any person whose property and interests in property 
are blocked under the Burma sanctions program.
    On February 22, 2013, OFAC issued General License No. 19 (``GL 
19'') authorizing U.S. persons to conduct most transactions, including 
opening and maintaining accounts and conducting a range of other 
financial services, with four blocked Burmese financial institutions: 
Asia Green Development Bank, Ayeyarwady Bank, Myanma Economic Bank, and 
Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank. Among other limitations, GL 19 
does not unblock any property or interests in property or authorize 
transactions involving any other person blocked under the Burma 
sanctions program.
    With this notice, OFAC is publishing General License No. 18 and 
General License No. 19 in the Federal Register.

General License No. 18

Authorizing the Importation of Products of Burma

    (a) The importation into the United States of any article that is a 
product of Burma is authorized, subject to the limitations set forth in 
paragraphs (c) and (e) of this general license.
    (b) For the purposes of this general license, the term product of 
Burma means goods of Burmese origin pursuant to rules of origin of U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection.
    (c) This general license does not authorize the importation into 
the United States of jadeite or rubies mined or extracted from Burma, 
or of articles of jewelry containing jadeite or rubies mined or 
extracted from Burma or any other activity prohibited by Section 3A of 
the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-61), as 
amended by the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE (Junta's Anti-Democratic 
Efforts) Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-286).
    (d) For the purposes of this general license, the term jadeite 
means any jadeite classifiable under chapter heading 7103 of the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (``HTS''); the term 
rubies means any rubies classifiable under chapter heading 7103 of the 
HTS; and the term articles of jewelry containing jadeite or rubies 
means any article of jewelry classifiable under chapter heading 7113 of 
the HTS that contains jadeite or rubies, or any article of jadeite or 
rubies classifiable under chapter heading 7116 of the HTS.
    (e) This general license does not authorize transactions with, 
directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in 
property are blocked pursuant to 31 CFR 537.201(a), Executive Order 
13448 of October 18, 2007, Executive Order 13464 of April 30, 2008, or 
Executive Order 13619 of July 11, 2012.

    Note 1 to General License No. 18:  The reimportation into the 
United States of jadeite, rubies, and articles of jewelry containing 
jadeite or rubies that were previously exported from the United 
States, including those that accompanied an individual outside the 
United States for personal use, if they are reimported into the 
United States by the same person who exported them, without having 
been advanced in value or improved in condition by any process or 
other means while outside

[[Page 21498]]

the United States, is not prohibited. See 19 CFR 12.151.


    Note 2 to General License No. 18:  The importation into the 
United States of jadeite or rubies mined or extracted from a country 
other than Burma, or of articles of jewelry containing jadeite or 
rubies mined or extracted from a country other than Burma, is 
prohibited unless such importation satisfies the conditions set 
forth in 19 CFR Sec.  12.151.

    Issued: November 16, 2012.

General License No. 19

General License With Respect to Asia Green Development Bank, Ayeyarwady 
Bank, Myanma Economic Bank, and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank

    (a) Effective February 22, 2013, all transactions involving Asia 
Green Development Bank, Ayeyarwady Bank, Myanma Economic Bank, and 
Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank are authorized, subject to the 
limitations set forth below.
    (b) This general license does not authorize transactions involving 
any person other than Asia Green Development Bank, Ayeyarwady Bank, 
Myanma Economic Bank, and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank whose 
property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to 31 CFR 
537.201(a), Executive Order 13448 of October 18, 2007, Executive Order 
13464 of April 30, 2008, or Executive Order 13619 of July 11, 2012.
    (c) This general license does not authorize, in connection with the 
provision of security services, the exportation or reexportation of 
financial services, directly or indirectly, to the Burmese Ministry of 
Defense, including the Office of Procurement; any state or non-state 
armed group; or any entity in which any of the foregoing own a 50 
percent or greater interest.
    (d) This general license does not authorize any new investment, as 
defined in 31 CFR 537.311, including in or with Asia Green Development 
Bank, Ayeyarwady Bank, Myanma Economic Bank, or Myanma Investment and 
Commercial Bank.
    (e) This general license does not authorize the importation into 
the United States of jadeite or rubies mined or extracted from Burma, 
or of articles of jewelry containing jadeite or rubies mined or 
extracted from Burma or any other activity prohibited by Section 3A of 
the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE (Junta's Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act 
of 2008 (Public Law 110-286).
    (f) All property and interests in property blocked pursuant to 31 
CFR 537.201(a), Executive Order 13448 of October 18, 2007, Executive 
Order 13464 of April 30, 2008, or Executive Order 13619 of July 11, 
2012, remain blocked.

    Note to General License No. 19:  As a result of this general 
license, the special measures against Burma imposed under Section 
311 of the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56) no longer apply to 
the operation of correspondent accounts for Asia Green Development 
Bank, Ayeyarwady Bank, Myanma Economic Bank, and Myanma Investment 
and Commercial Bank, or to transactions that are conducted through 
such accounts, provided the transactions are authorized pursuant to 
the Burmese Sanctions Regulations. See 31 CFR Sec.  1010.651(b)(3). 
This general license does not affect any obligation of U.S. 
financial institutions processing such transactions to conduct 
enhanced due diligence under Section 312 of the USA PATRIOT Act.

    Issued: February 22, 2013.

    Dated: April 4, 2013.
Adam J. Szubin,
Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.
[FR Doc. 2013-08361 Filed 4-9-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-AL-P