The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control has assessed a penalty of $7,000 on Zurigo Trading Inc. for violating the Iranian Transactions Regulations by attempting to export goods to Iran on behalf of its foreign customer.
On October 17, 2011 Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has announced that the Government will impose certain asset-freezing measures on two individuals who have been designated for violating the arms embargo against Somalia under the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1844 and the UNSC Sanctions Committee's Resolutions 751 and 1907. The asset-freezing measures include payment restrictions and restrictions on capital transactions and apply to the following two individuals: Hassan Mahat Omar and Omar Hammami.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control states that it received a total of 472 applications requesting authorization to export agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices to Iran and Sudan under the one-year specific licensing regime of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act (TSRA) in the second quarter of fiscal year 2011 (January - March 2011). See notice for further statistics.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has released a frequently asked question regarding the central bank of South Sudan. The former Bank of Southern Sudan, sometimes referred to as the Bank of South Sudan, has been established as the new central bank of the Republic of South Sudan. It is no longer a subsidiary of or linked to the Bank of Sudan, and no longer considered to be the Government of Sudan under the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR Part 538.
On October 19, 2011, the Office of Foreign Assets Control removed three companies and three individuals from its "Specially Designated Nationals" List. SDNs are (i) individuals or companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries or (ii) individuals, groups, or entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programs that are not country-specific. The assets of listed SDNs are blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has deleted Dominion International, United Kingdom (IRQA2] from its list of Specially Designated Nationals. SDNs are (i) individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries or (ii) individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programs that are not country-specific. The assets of listed SDNs are blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them. Federal Register notice (FR Pub 10/21/11) on this action available here.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued an October 12, 2011 updated list of all currently authorized Carrier Service Providers, Travel Service Providers, and Remittance Forwarders for Cuba.
On October 11, 2011, the Office of Foreign Assets Control added three individuals to, and amended the designations for two individuals on, its "Specially Designated Nationals" List. All of the individuals are Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps related designations. SDNs are (i) individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries or (ii) individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programs that are not country-specific. The assets of listed SDNs are blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has added Mahan Air (aka Mahan Air Co.) of Tehran, Iran to its list of Specially Designated Nationals. SDNs are (i) individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries or (ii) individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programs that are not country-specific. The assets of listed SDNs are blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a final rule, effective October 12, 2011, that amends the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations and the Iranian Transactions Regulations to authorize the processing of funds transfers for the operating expenses or other official business of third-country diplomatic or consular missions in Sudan or Iran, respectively. OFAC also is amending the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations and the Iranian Transactions Regulations to authorize the transportation of human remains to or from Sudan and Iran, respectively, for burial, cremation, or interment, as well as the importation into the U.S. for non-commercial purposes of finished tombstones or grave markers of Sudanese or Iranian origin.