Frequently Asked Questions

1007. Are U.S. persons authorized to engage in certain activity with the so-called Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic regions of Ukraine or such other regions of Ukraine as may be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State (collectively, the "Covered Regions")?

… U.S. persons are authorized through a variety of Ukraine-related general licenses (GLs) to support certain humanitarian efforts and other activity in the Covered Regions, … of funds, payment of taxes, fees, and import duties, and purchase or receipt of permits, licenses… Read more

856. How will transactions related to Iran’s participation in legal proceedings, including administrative, judicial, arbitral proceedings, and proceedings before international courts and tribunals, be treated for purposes of secondary sanctions to the extent that Iranian financial institutions or the Iranian financial sector sanctioned under Executive Order (E.O.) 13902 are involved?

… involving Iranian financial institutions blocked under E.O. 13902 remain authorized under General License (GL) L to the extent they are authorized, exempt, or otherwise not prohibited by … involving Iranian financial institutions blocked under E.O. 13902 remain authorized under… Read more

419. How should U.S. persons account for the debt prohibitions under Directives 1, 2, and 3 as they relate to payment terms for the following types of transactions: (1) the sale of goods to an SSI entity, (2) the provision of services to and subscription arrangements involving SSI entities, and (3) progress payments for long-term projects?

… terms of longer than the applicable tenor specified in the relevant Directive to an SSI entity generally constitutes a prohibited dealing in debt of the SSI entity, U.S. persons should ensure … end of the relevant payment period, the U.S. person should contact OFAC to determine… Read more

957. Can non-U.S. companies ship food and agricultural products to Afghanistan? Can banks process these transactions?

… medicine, and medical devices to Afghanistan. OFAC has also issued Afghanistan-related General License (GL) 15 , which authorizes U.S. persons to engage in all transactions that are … medicine, and medical devices to Afghanistan. OFAC has also issued Afghanistan-related … Read more

5. When screening for sanctions, how do I determine if I have a valid match to a name on one of OFAC’s lists?

… from parties involved in the transaction or activity, such as a birth certificate, driver's license, or a business's corporate registration documentation. Consider how much of the listed … and open-source reporting and photographs do not match information (e.g.,… Read more

949. Do sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on the Taliban and the Haqqani Network prohibit the sending of personal remittances to Afghanistan?

… in Afghanistan, other than a blocked individual. OFAC has also issued Afghanistan-related General License (GL) 16 to facilitate the transfer of noncommercial, personal remittances to … in Afghanistan. For activity outside the scope of GLs 16 or 20, OFAC may issue specific… Read more

998. What are the requirements of Directive 4 under Executive Order (E.O.) 14024, “Prohibitions Related to Transactions Involving the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation,” as amended (Russia-related Sovereign Transactions Directive)?

… and file a report within 10 business days in accordance with 31 CFR § 501.604. OFAC issued general licenses that authorize certain limited transactions involving the Directive 4 entities ( … and file a report within 10 business days in accordance with 31 CFR § 501.604. OFAC… Read more

935. Does the blocking of Hidri Trust and Red Sea Trading Corporation (RSTC) restrict the ability of U.S. and non-U.S. persons to engage in humanitarian-related transactions or activity in Eritrea or Ethiopia?

… 14046, including Hidri Trust and RSTC. Concurrent with the issuance of E.O. 14046, OFAC issued General Licenses (GLs) 1 and 2 to ensure that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and certain … 14046, including Hidri Trust and RSTC. Concurrent with the issuance of E.O. 14046, OFAC… 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?

… and evaluation of financial data about economic entities. Please note that OFAC has issued General License 35 to authorize certain transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to the … and evaluation of financial data about economic entities. Please note that OFAC has issued… Read more

769. What types of Cuban-origin goods are authorized for importation directly into the United States?

… the merchandise is not alcohol or tobacco products. For a complete description of what this general license authorizes and the restrictions that apply, see 31 CFR § 515.544 . The $100 … the merchandise is not alcohol or tobacco products. For a complete description of what this… Read more

Frequently Asked Questions

Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence