OFAC Updates Week 5/17/21

May 17, 2021

The Office of Foreign Assets Control has updated its Specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List with Burma-related and counter terrorism designations. The designations consisted of nineteen individuals and two entities.

May 18, 2021

The Treasury Department has submitted a report to congress in response to Section 5(b) of the Hong Kong Autonomy Act. The report details how the department will be identifying and maintaining a list of individuals who have contributed to the failure of the Government of China to meet its obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The main points of tension from the declaration here are the promise of general autonomy for Hong Kong from China and the exclusion of criminal extradition.

OFAC has issued General License 1B, "Authorizing Transactions Involving Securities of Certain Communist Chinese Military Companies." The license authorized transactions involving publicly traded securities, or any securities that are derivative with companies that are not explicitly listed as a Communist Chinese Military Company defined by section 4(a) of Executive Order 13959 through June 11, 2021.

May 19, 2021

OFAC has amended the Terrorism List Government Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 596, to implement the recession of the designation of Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism. The recision took effect on May 20, 2021.

May 20, 2021

OFAC has updated their SDN List with Yemen-related and counter terrorism designations. The designations consisted of two individuals.

May 21, 2021

OFAC has issued PEESA General License 1, "Authorizing Certain Activities Involving Federal State Budgetary Institution Marine Rescue Service." PEESA, Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act of 2019, was implemented to combat Russia's coercive use of its energy pipeline systems to create national and regional dependencies on Russian energy supplies. OFAC has also issued Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 894 and 895 related to this new general license. Tandem to the the PEESA General License, OFAC has also added designations to both the Non-SDN Menu Based Sanctions (NS-MBS) and the SDN Lists.

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