[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 18, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 45816-45818]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15137]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of Foreign Assets Control

31 CFR Parts 542, 560, 591 and 594


Publication of Covid-Related Web General Licenses Related to 
Syria Sanctions Regulations, Iranian Transactions and Sanctions 
Regulations, Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, and Venezuela 
Sanctions Regulations.

AGENCY: Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury.

ACTION: Publication of web general licenses.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets 
Control (OFAC) is publishing three web general licenses (GLs) issued in 
the Syria Sanctions Regulations, Iran Transactions and Sanctions 
Regulations and Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, and Venezuela 
Sanctions Regulations, respectively: Syria GL 21B, Iran GL N-2, and 
Venezuela GL 39B, each of which was previously made available on OFAC's 
website.

DATES: Syria GL 21B, Iran GL N-2, and Venezuela GL 39B were issued on 
June 14, 2023. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional relevant 
dates.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: OFAC: Assistant Director for 
Licensing, 202-622-2480; Assistant Director for Regulatory Affairs, 
202-622-4855; or Assistant Director for Compliance, 202-622-2490.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Availability

    This document and additional information concerning OFAC are 
available on OFAC's website: https://ofac.treasury.gov.

Background

    On June 14, 2023, OFAC issued Syria GL 21B, Iran GL N-2, and 
Venezuela GL 39B to extend the authorization for certain transactions 
otherwise prohibited by, respectively: the Syria Sanctions Regulations, 
31 CFR part 542; the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, 31 
CFR part 560, and the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR 
part 594; and the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 591. At 
the time of issuance, OFAC made all three GLs, each of which has an 
expiration date of June 14, 2024, available on its website (https://ofac.treasury.gov). The texts of the three GLs are provided below:

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Syrian Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR part 542

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 21B

Authorizing Certain Activities To Respond to the Coronavirus Disease 
2019 (COVID-19)

    (a) Authorizing certain COVID-19-related transactions prohibited 
by the Syrian Sanctions Regulations. Except as provided in paragraph 
(b) of this general license, the following transactions and 
activities that are prohibited by the Syrian Sanctions Regulations, 
31 CFR part 542 (SySR), are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern 
daylight time, June 14, 2024:
    (1) Exportation of services related to COVID-19. All 
transactions and activities related to the exportation, 
reexportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, of services 
to Syria that are related to the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment 
of COVID-19 (including research or clinical studies relating to 
COVID-19); and
    (2) COVID-19-related transactions involving certain blocked 
persons. All transactions and activities involving the Government of 
Syria, Polymedics LLC, Letia Company, or any entity in which 
Polymedics LLC or Letia Company owns, whether individually or in the 
aggregate, directly or indirectly, a 50 percent or greater interest, 
that are related to the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of 
COVID-19 (including research or clinical studies relating to COVID-
19), provided that any exportation or reexportation of items to 
Syria must be licensed or otherwise authorized by the Department of 
Commerce.
    (b) This general license does not authorize:
    (1) The exportation or reexportation of any goods, technology, 
or services to military, intelligence, or law enforcement purchasers 
or importers;
    (2) The unblocking of any property blocked pursuant to any part 
of 31 CFR chapter V; or
    (3) Any transactions or activities otherwise prohibited by the 
SySR, or prohibited by any other part of 31 CFR chapter V, statute, 
or Executive order, or involving any blocked person other than the 
blocked persons identified in paragraph (a) of this general license.

[[Page 45817]]

    (c) Effective June 14, 2023, General License 21A, dated June 10, 
2022, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this General 
License 21B.
    Note 1 to General License 21B. Nothing in this general license 
relieves any person from compliance with the requirements of other 
Federal agencies, including the Department of Commerce's Bureau of 
Industry and Security or the Department of State's Directorate of 
Defense Trade Controls.

Andrea M. Gacki,
Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

    Dated: June 14, 2023

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR part 560

Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR part 594

GENERAL LICENSE N-2

Authorizing Certain Activities To Respond to the Coronavirus Disease 
2019 (COVID-19)

    (a) Authorizing certain COVID-19-related transactions prohibited 
by the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations. Except as 
provided in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this general license, the 
following transactions and activities that are prohibited by the 
Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 560 
(ITSR), are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, 
June 14, 2024:
    (1) Exportation of goods or technology. All transactions and 
activities related to the exportation, reexportation, sale, or 
supply, directly or indirectly, of goods or technology for use in 
connection with the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of COVID-19 
(including research or clinical studies related to COVID-19) to Iran 
or the Government of Iran, or to persons in third countries 
purchasing specifically for resale to Iran or the Government of 
Iran;
    (2) Importation of or dealings in certain COVID-19-related 
goods. All transactions and activities related to the importation 
into the United States of, or dealings in or related to, goods that 
previously were exported or reexported to Iran or the Government of 
Iran pursuant to this general license and that are broken, 
defective, or non-operational, or are connected to product recalls, 
adverse events, or other safety concerns, or for routine maintenance 
or the permanent return of such items to the United States or a 
third country; and
    (3) Exportation or importation of services. All transactions and 
activities related to the exportation, reexportation, sale, or 
supply, directly or indirectly, of services to Iran or the 
Government of Iran, or the importation into the United States of, or 
dealings in or related to, Iranian-origin services, in each case 
that are related to the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of 
COVID-19 (including research or clinical studies relating to COVID-
19).
    (b) Authorizing certain transactions involving the Central Bank 
of Iran (CBI) or the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). Except as 
provided in paragraph (e) of this general license, all transactions 
and activities described in paragraph (a) of this general license 
involving CBI, NIOC, or any entity in which NIOC owns, directly or 
indirectly, a 50 percent or greater interest, that are prohibited by 
the ITSR or the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 
594 (GTSR) are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, 
June 14, 2024.
    (c) Authorizing certain financial transactions. Except as 
provided in paragraph (e) of this general license, the processing of 
funds transfers or trade finance transactions that are ordinarily 
incident and necessary to give effect to the transactions and 
activities authorized in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this general 
license that are prohibited by the ITSR or the GTSR are authorized 
through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, June 14, 2024.
    (d) Any exportation or reexportation of goods or technology 
pursuant to paragraph (a) of this general license is subject to the 
following conditions:
    (1) Any goods or technology exported or reexported must:
    (i) Be designated as EAR99 under the Export Administration 
Regulations, 15 CFR parts 730 through 774 (EAR); or
    (ii) In the case of goods or technology that are not subject to 
the EAR, not be listed on any multilateral export control regime; 
and
    (2) All exports or reexports made pursuant to this general 
license must be concluded prior to the expiration date of this 
general license.
    (e) This general license does not authorize:
    (1) The exportation or reexportation of goods or technology to 
CBI, NIOC, or any entity in which NIOC owns, directly or indirectly, 
a 50 percent or greater interest;
    (2) The exportation or reexportation of any goods, technology, 
or services to military, intelligence, or law enforcement purchasers 
or importers;
    (3) The exportation or reexportation of any goods, technology, 
or services used to facilitate the development or production of a 
chemical or biological weapon or weapon of mass destruction;
    (4) The unblocking of any property blocked pursuant to any part 
of 31 CFR chapter V; or
    (5) Any transactions or activities otherwise prohibited by the 
ITSR or the GTSR, or prohibited by any other part of 31 CFR chapter 
V, involving any person blocked pursuant to the GTSR except as 
identified in paragraph (b) of this general license.
    (f) Effective June 14, 2023, General License N-1, dated June 10, 
2022, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this General 
License N-2.
    Note 1 to General License N-2. The export or reexport to Iran of 
certain food, medicine, medical devices, and agricultural 
commodities, as well as certain related transactions such as 
payments and brokering, are broadly authorized under sections 
560.530, 560.532, and 560.533 of the ITSR, subject to certain 
conditions. In addition, transactions or activities authorized under 
those provisions that involve CBI, NIOC, or any entity in which NIOC 
owns, directly or indirectly, a 50 percent or greater interest, are 
also authorized pursuant to Counter Terrorism- and Iran-related 
General License No. 8A. Those authorizations remain in effect, 
including with respect to exports or reexports of food, medicine, 
medical devices, and agricultural commodities intended to respond to 
COVID-19 that satisfy the applicable criteria of those 
authorizations.
    Note 2 to General License N-2. Nothing in this general license 
relieves any person from compliance with the requirements of other 
Federal agencies, including the Department of Commerce's Bureau of 
Industry and Security or the Department of State's Directorate of 
Defense Trade Controls.

Andrea M. Gacki,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

    Dated: June 14, 2023.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Venezuela Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR part 591

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 39B

Authorizing Certain Activities To Respond to the Coronavirus Disease 
2019 (COVID-19)

    (a) Authorizing certain COVID-19-related transactions involving 
the Government of Venezuela. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of 
this general license, all transactions and activities involving the 
Government of Venezuela that are related to the prevention, 
diagnosis, or treatment of COVID-19 (including research or clinical 
studies relating to COVID-19), that are prohibited by Executive 
Order (E.O.) 13808 of August 27, 2017, as amended by E.O. 13857 of 
January 25, 2019, or E.O. 13884 of August 5, 2019, each as 
incorporated into the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 
591 (the VSR), are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight 
time, June 14, 2024.
    (b) Authorizing certain COVID-19-related transactions involving 
certain banks. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this general 
license, all transactions and activities described in paragraph (a) 
of this general license involving Banco Central de Venezuela (BCV), 
Banco de Venezuela, S.A. Banco Universal (Banco de Venezuela), Banco 
Bicentenario del Pueblo, de la Clase Obrera, Mujer y Comunas, Banco 
Universal C.A. (Banco Bicentenario del Pueblo), or any entity in 
which BCV, Banco de Venezuela, or Banco Bicentenario del Pueblo 
owns, whether individually or in the aggregate, directly or 
indirectly, a 50 percent or greater interest, that are prohibited by 
E.O. 13850 of November 1, 2018, as amended by E.O. 13857, each as 
incorporated into the VSR, are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern 
daylight time, June 14, 2024.
    (c) This general license does not authorize:
    (1) The exportation or reexportation of any goods, technology, 
or services to military, intelligence, or law enforcement purchasers 
or importers;
    (2) Any transactions or activities involving Petr[oacute]leos de 
Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), Banco de Desarrollo Economico y Social de 
Venezuela (BANDES), or Banco Bandes Uruguay S.A. (Bandes Uruguay), 
or any entity in which PdVSA, BANDES, or Bandes Uruguay owns, 
whether individually or in the aggregate, directly or indirectly, a 
50 percent or greater interest;

[[Page 45818]]

    (3) The unblocking of any property blocked pursuant to any part 
of 31 CFR chapter V; or
    (4) Any transactions or activities otherwise prohibited by the 
VSR, or prohibited by any other part of 31 CFR chapter V, statute, 
or E.O., or involving any blocked persons other than Government of 
Venezuela persons blocked solely pursuant to E.O. 13884 or the 
blocked persons identified in paragraph (b) of this general license.
    (d) Effective June 14, 2023, General License 39A, dated June 10, 
2022, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this General 
License 39B.
    Note 1 to General License 39B. Nothing in this general license 
relieves any person from compliance with the requirements of other 
Federal agencies, including the Department of Commerce's Bureau of 
Industry and Security or the Department of State's Directorate of 
Defense Trade Controls.

Andrea M. Gacki,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

    Dated: June 14, 2023.

Andrea M. Gacki,
Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.
[FR Doc. 2023-15137 Filed 7-17-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-AL-P