U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Frequently Asked Questions

Featured FAQs

401. OFAC’s 50 Percent Rule states that the property and interests in property of entities directly or indirectly owned 50 percent or more in the aggregate by one or more blocked persons are considered blocked. How does OFAC interpret indirect ownership as it relates to certain complex ownership structures?

"Indirectly," as used in OFAC’s 50 Percent Rule, refers to one or more blocked persons' ownership of shares of an entity through another entity or entities that are 50 percent or more owned in the aggregate by the blocked person(s). OFAC urges persons consider ... Read more

5. How do I determine if I have a valid OFAC match?

If you are calling about a wire transfer or other "live" transaction:Step 1. Is the "hit" or "match" against OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, one of its other sanctions lists, or targeted countries, or is it "hitting" for some other reason (i. ... Read more

Recently Added FAQs

No.  Certain Venezuela general licenses (GLs) require that any contract for transactions authorized by the GL with the Government of Venezuela or certain other covered entities (e.g., Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. in GL 52A or CVG Compañía General de Miner ... Read more
Yes. Venezuela-related General License (GL) 30B authorizes U.S. persons to engage in all transactions involving the Government of Venezuela (GOV), including its agencies and instrumentalities like the Instituto Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil (INAC) and Institut ... Read more