Frequently Asked Questions

1222. Do I need a specific license from OFAC to export or reexport food or medicine to Syria?

1222 … No. The United States no longer maintains comprehensive sanctions on Syria, effective July 1, 2025, following the issuance of the E.O. of June 30, 2025 . You may send U.S.-origin food or medicine to Syria without a specific license from OFAC. Furthermore, the Department of Commerce maintains… Read more

1223. Can persons continue to rely on Syria General License (GL) 25 after the revocation of the Syrian Sanctions Program, on July 1, 2025?

1223 … Yes. While Syria GL 25 authorizes transactions otherwise prohibited under the Syrian Sanctions Regulations, it also authorizes transactions involving specified persons otherwise prohibited by certain other sanctions programs. To the extent necessary, persons may continue to rely on GL 25 and… Read more

1029. How do the prohibitions of Executive Order (E.O.) 14024 and other Russia-related sanctions impact gold-related transactions or persons participating in the gold market?

1029 … Gold-related transactions involving the Russian Federation may be sanctionable under E.O. 14024 or other Russia-related sanctions authorities. For example, E.O. 14024 authorizes sanctions against: Persons determined to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have directly or indirectly… Read more

1030. What obligations do operators of credit card systems have under the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. part 587 (RuHSR), and the Belarus Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. part 548 (BSR), with regard to payment cards issued by sanctioned Russian financial institutions?

1030 … Pursuant to the RuHSR and BSR, U.S. persons, including U.S. operators of credit card systems and U.S. acquirers, are prohibited from processing transactions involving certain sanctioned foreign financial institutions, unless exempt or authorized by OFAC. Non-U.S. operators of credit card… Read more

1031. What is a UID? And why does OFAC sometimes publish lists of UIDs in its Recent Actions notices?

1031 … Throughout OFAC’s sanctions list data products , such as the XML file, each entry is assigned a unique identification number (UID) as a means to help make sorting and filtering through information easier. In OFAC’s files, a UID is a numeric string that is associated with a single entry… Read more

1032. On April 20, 2022, Transkapitalbank (TKB) was designated pursuant to Russia-related Executive Order 14024. Can U.S. persons continue to engage in Afghanistan-related transactions with TKB?

1032 … Yes. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued two general licenses (GLs) related to TKB, which allow U.S. persons to engage in certain transactions involving TKB for specified time periods. Russia-related GL 28 (this content is no longer available) authorizes U.S. persons to… Read more

1033. What actions were taken on May 8, 2022 related to certain accounting, trust and corporate formation, and management consulting services?

1033 … On May 8, 2022, the Director of OFAC, in consultation with the Department of State, issued a determination pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14071 , "Prohibitions Related to Certain Accounting, Trust and Corporate Formation, and Management Consulting Services," prohibiting the exportation,… Read more

1034. For the purposes of the determination of May 8, 2022 made pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14071, “Prohibitions Related to Certain Accounting, Trust and Corporate Formation, and Management Consulting Services,” what is meant by the terms “accounting,” “trust and corporate formation,” and “management consulting” services?

1034 … For the purposes of the determination of May 8, 2022 made pursuant to E.O. 14071 , OFAC anticipates publishing regulations defining these terms to include the following: “Accounting services” – includes services related to the measurement, processing, and evaluation of financial data about… Read more

1035. For the purposes of Russia-related General License 35 what is meant by the terms “credit rating services” and “auditing services?”

1035 … The term “credit rating services” means services related to assessments of a borrower’s ability to meet financial commitments, including analysis of general creditworthiness or with respect to a specific debt or financial obligation. The term “auditing services” means examination or… Read more

1036. When do the prohibitions imposed by the determination of May 8, 2022 made pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14071, “Prohibitions Related to Certain Accounting, Trust and Corporate Formation, and Management Consulting Services,” take effect?

1036 … The prohibitions imposed by the determination of May 8, 2022 made pursuant to E.O. 14071 take effect at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time June 7, 2022. In addition, OFAC has issued General License 34 to authorize all transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to the wind down of the… Read more

Frequently Asked Questions

Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence