OFAC Clarifies One-Year Export Licensing Procedures for Certain Agricultural and Medical Goods to Sudan and Iran
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued a notice which clarifies its policy at 31 CFR Parts 538 and 560 with respect to the process for issuing one-year licenses to export agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices to Sudan and Iran pursuant to section 906 of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA) (Title IX, Public Law 106-387).
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(Effective July 26, 2001, the OFAC promulgated amendments to the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations (SSR) and the Iranian Transactions Regulations (ITR) to implement section 906 of TSRA.
The OFAC states that the preamble to the rule described an expedited process for the issuance of the one-year license required by section 906 for all exports and reexports of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices to Sudan or Iran. The expedited process included, when appropriate, referral of the one-year license request to other government agencies for guidance in evaluating the request. See ITT's Online Archives or 07/16/01 news, 01071616, for BP summary.)
OFAC Clarifies that Processing of One-Year License Requests May Take Longer than Originally Suggested, Etc.
According to the OFAC, it has issued this notice to clarify that it will continue to conduct a review of all applications for one-year licenses consistent with the requirements of section 906 of TSRA, which may include a referral to other government agencies for guidance, and will respond to such applications upon completion of the review, but that applicants should be aware that OFAC's processing of one-year license requests may take longer than the time periods suggested at the inception of the TSRA program.
OFAC explains that due to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, its agency is providing greater scrutiny of such license requests. In addition, the volume of license requests has increased and the applications are now more complicated.
OFAC states that it will continue to respond to such applications in as timely a manner as is possible under the circumstances of each individual license application, consistent with OFAC's obligations under TSRA, the ITR, and the SSR.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 08/10/04 news, 04081040, for BP summary of an earlier OFAC notice requesting comments on, among other things, the effectiveness of the subject licensing procedures.)
| Compliance Outreach & Implementation | (202) 622-2490 |
| Assistant Director for Licensing | (202) 622-2480 |
| Assistant Director for Policy | (202) 622-4855 |
| Chief Counsel | (202) 622-2410 |
OFAC Notice (FR Pub 03/20/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-4950.pdf