[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