31 C.F.R. § 542.201

Current through October 31, 2024

Section 542.201 - Prohibited transactions involving blocked property

(a) All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that come within the United States, or that are or come within the possession or control of any U.S. person are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in:

(1)E.O. 13582. The Government of Syria and any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:

(i) To have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, the Government of Syria or any other person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this paragraph (a)(1); or

(ii) To be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of Syria or any other person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this paragraph (a)(1).

(2)E.O. 13338, as amended by E.O. 13460. Any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:

(i) To be or to have been directing or otherwise significantly contributing to the Government of Syria's provision of safe haven to or other support for any person whose property and interests in property are blocked under United States law for terrorism-related reasons, including, but not limited to, Hamas, Hizballah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, and any persons designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 of September 23, 2001;

(ii) To be or to have been directing or otherwise significantly contributing to the Government of Syria's military or security presence in Lebanon;

(iii) To be or to have been directing or otherwise significantly contributing to the Government of Syria's pursuit of the development and production of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons and medium- and long-range surface-to-surface missiles;

(iv) To be or to have been responsible for or otherwise significantly contributing to actions taken or decisions made by the Government of Syria that have the purpose or effect of undermining efforts to stabilize Iraq or of allowing the use of Syrian territory or facilities to undermine efforts to stabilize Iraq; or

(v) To be owned or controlled by, or acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property or interests in property are blocked pursuant this paragraph (a)(2).

(3)E.O. 13399. Any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:

(i) To be, or to have been, involved in the planning, sponsoring, organizing, or perpetrating of:

(A) The terrorist act in Beirut, Lebanon, that resulted in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and the deaths of 22 others; or

(B) Any other bombing, assassination, or assassination attempt in Lebanon since October 1, 2004, that is related to Hariri's assassination or that implicates the Government of Syria or its officers or agents;

(ii) To have obstructed or otherwise impeded the work of the Commission established pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1595 of April 7, 2005;

(iii) To have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, any such terrorist act, bombing, or assassination attempt, or any person designated pursuant to this paragraph (a)(3); or

(iv) To be owned or controlled by, or acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person designated pursuant to this paragraph (a)(3).

(4)E.O. 13460. Any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to be responsible for, to have engaged in, to have facilitated, or to have secured improper advantage as a result of, public corruption by senior officials within the Government of Syria.

(5)E.O. 13572 Annex. The persons listed in the Annex to E.O. 13572 of April 29, 2011.

(6)E.O. 13572. Any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:

(i) To be responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, or to have participated in, the commission of human rights abuses in Syria, including those related to repression;

(ii) To be a senior official of an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to paragraph (a)(5) of this section or this paragraph (a)(6);

(iii) To have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, the activities described in paragraph (a)(6)(i) of this section or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of this section or paragraphs (a)(4) and (5) of this section and this paragraph (a)(6); or

(iv) To be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to paragraphs (a)(4) and (5) of this section and this paragraph (a)(6).

(7)E.O. 13573 Annex. The persons listed in the Annex to E.O. 13573 of May 18, 2011.

(8)E.O. 13573. Any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:

(i) To be a senior official of the Government of Syria;

(ii) To be an agency or instrumentality of the Government of Syria, or owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Government of Syria or by an official or officials of the Government of Syria;

(iii) To have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to paragraph (a)(7) of this section or this paragraph (a)(8); or

(9)E.O. 13606 Annex. The persons listed in the Annex to E.O. 13606 of April 22, 2012.

(10)E.O. 13606. Any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with or at the recommendation of the Secretary of State:

(i) To have operated, or to have directed the operation of, information and communications technology that facilitates computer or network disruption, monitoring, or tracking that could assist in or enable serious human rights abuses by or on behalf of the Government of Syria;

(ii) To have sold, leased, or otherwise provided, directly or indirectly, goods, services, or technology to Syria likely to be used to facilitate computer or network disruption, monitoring, or tracking that could assist in or enable serious human rights abuses by or on behalf of the Government of Syria;

(iii) To have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, the activities described in paragraph (a)(10)(i) or (ii) of this section, or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to paragraph (a)(9) of this section or this paragraph (a)(10); or

(11)Syria Human Rights Accountability Act of 2012.

(i) A person that is included by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Treasury, in the list submitted pursuant to section 702(b) of the Syria Human Rights Accountability Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8791(b) ) (SHRAA), because the person is an official of the Government of Syria or a person acting on behalf of the Government of Syria, that is determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with or at the recommendation of the Secretary of State, based on credible evidence, to be responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, the commission of serious human rights abuses against citizens of Syria or their family members, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Syria;

(ii) A person that is included by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Treasury, in the list submitted pursuant to section 703(b) of the SHRAA (22 U.S.C. 8792(b) ), because the person is determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with or at the recommendation of the Secretary of State, to have knowingly engaged in one of the following activities on or after August 10, 2012:

(A) The transfer, or the facilitation of the transfer of, goods or technologies described in paragraph (a)(11)(ii)(C) of this section to Syria; or

(B) The provision of services with respect to goods or technologies described in paragraph (a)(11)(ii)(C) of this section after such goods or technologies are transferred to Syria.

(C) Goods or technologies described in paragraphs (a)(11)(ii)(A) and (B) of this section are goods or technologies that the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with or at the recommendation of the Secretary of State, determines are likely to be used by the Government of Syria or any of its agencies or instrumentalities to commit human rights abuses against the people of Syria, including:

(1) Firearms or ammunition (as those terms are defined in 18 U.S.C. 921 ), rubber bullets, police batons, pepper or chemical sprays, stun grenades, electroshock weapons, tear gas, water cannons, or surveillance technology; or

(2) Sensitive technology, as defined in § 542.320 ;

(iii) A person that the Secretary of Treasury, in consultation with or at the recommendation of the Secretary of State, determines:

(A) Is a successor entity to a person blocked pursuant to paragraph (a)(11)(ii) of this section;

(B) Owns or controls a person blocked pursuant to paragraph (a)(11)(ii) of this section, if the person that owns or controls such blocked person had actual knowledge, or should have known, that the blocked person engaged in the activity described in paragraph (a)(11)(ii) for which the person was blocked pursuant to paragraph (a)(11)(ii); or

(C) Is owned or controlled by, or under common ownership or control with, a person blocked pursuant to paragraph (a)(11)(ii) of this section, if the person owned or controlled by, or under common ownership or control with (as the case may be), the person blocked pursuant to paragraph (a)(11)(ii) knowingly engaged in the activity described in paragraph (a)(11)(ii) for which the person was blocked pursuant to paragraph (a)(11)(ii); or

(iv) A person that is included by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, in the list submitted pursuant to section 704(b) of the SHRAA (22 U.S.C. 8793(b) ), because the person is determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with or at the recommendation of the Secretary of State, to have engaged in censorship, or activities relating to censorship, in a manner that prohibits, limits, or penalizes the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression by citizens of Syria.

(12)Section 234 of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (22 U.S.C. 9528 ).

(i) A foreign person determined by the Secretary of the State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, to have, on or after August 2, 2017, knowingly exported, transferred, or otherwise provided to Syria, significant financial, material, or technological support that contributes materially to the ability of the Government of Syria to:

(A) Acquire or develop chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons or related technologies;

(B) Acquire or develop ballistic or cruise missile capabilities;

(C) Acquire or develop destabilizing numbers and types of advanced conventional weapons;

(D) Acquire significant defense articles, defense services, or defense information (as such terms are defined under the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.); or

(E) Acquire those items designated as items on the United States Munitions List under section 38(a)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778(a)(1) );

(ii) A foreign person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to be a successor entity to a foreign person described in paragraph (a)(12)(i) of this section; or

(iii) A foreign person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted for or on behalf of, a foreign person described in paragraph (a)(12)(i) of this section.

(13)Section 7412 of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019. Any foreign person that the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, determines knowingly engages in one of the following activities on or after June 17, 2020:

(i) Knowingly provides significant financial, material, or technological support to, or knowingly engaged in a significant transaction with:

(A) The Government of Syria (including any entity owned or controlled by the Government of Syria) or a senior political figure of the Government of Syria;

(B) A foreign person that is a military contractor, mercenary, or a paramilitary force knowingly operating in a military capacity inside Syria for or on behalf of the Government of Syria, the Government of the Russian Federation, or the Government of Iran; or

(C) A foreign person subject to sanctions pursuant to International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) with respect to Syria or any other provision of law that imposes sanctions with respect to Syria;

(ii) Knowingly sells or provides significant goods, services, technology, information, or other support that significantly facilitates the maintenance or expansion of the Government of Syria's domestic production of natural gas, petroleum, or petroleum products;

(iii) Knowingly sells or provides aircraft or spare aircraft parts that are used for military purposes in Syria for or on behalf of the Government of Syria to any foreign person operating in an area directly or indirectly controlled by the Government of Syria or foreign forces associated with the Government of Syria;

(iv) Knowingly provides significant goods or services associated with the operation of aircraft that are used for military purposes in Syria for or on behalf of the Government of Syria to any foreign person operating in an area described in paragraph (a)(13)(iii) of this section; or

(v) Knowingly, directly or indirectly, provides significant construction or engineering services to the Government of Syria.

(b) The prohibitions in paragraph (a) of this section include prohibitions on the following transactions:

(1) The making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section; and

(2) The receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section.

(c) Unless authorized by this part or by a specific license expressly referring to this part, any dealing in securities (or evidence thereof) held within the possession or control of a U.S. person and either registered or inscribed in the name of, or known to be held for the benefit of, or issued by, the Government of Syria or any other person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section is prohibited. The prohibition in paragraph (a) includes the transfer (including the transfer on the books of any issuer or agent thereof), disposition, transportation, importation, exportation, or withdrawal of, or the endorsement or guaranty of signatures on, any securities on or after the effective date. The prohibition in paragraph (a) applies irrespective of the fact that at any time (whether prior to, on, or subsequent to the effective date) the registered or inscribed owner of any such securities may have or might appear to have assigned, transferred, or otherwise disposed of the securities.

(d) The prohibitions in paragraph (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, rulings, instructions, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this part, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date.

(e) All transactions prohibited pursuant to any Executive order issued after May 1, 2012 pursuant to the national emergency declared in E.O. 13338 of May 11, 2004, are prohibited pursuant to this part.

31 C.F.R. §542.201

89 FR 48314 , June 6, 2024, as amended at 89 FR 75959 , Sept. 17, 2024

89 FR 48314 , 6/6/2024; as amended at 89 FR 75959 , 9/17/2024

Note 1 to § 542.201. The names of persons designated or identified as blocked pursuant to E.O. 13338, E.O. 13399, E.O. 13460, E.O. 13572, E.O. 13573, E.O. 13582, E.O. 13606, or any further Executive orders issued pursuant to the national emergency declared in E.O. 13338, whose property and interests in property therefore are blocked pursuant to this section, are published in the FEDERAL REGISTER and incorporated into OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List) using the following identifiers: for E.O. 13338, E.O. 13399, E.O. 13460, E.O. 13572, E.O. 13573, or E.O. 13582: "[SYRIA]"; for E.O. 13606: "[HRIT-SY]"; and for any further Executive orders issued pursuant to the national emergency declared in E.O. 13338: using the identifier formulation "[SYRIA-E.O.[E.O. number pursuant to which the person's property and interests in property are blocked]]." The names of persons designated or identified as blocked pursuant to the Syria Human Rights Accountability Act of 2012, whose property and interests in property therefore are blocked pursuant to this section, are published in the FEDERAL REGISTER and incorporated into the SDN List with the identifier "[SYRIA-TRA]." The names of persons designated or identified as blocked pursuant to Section 234(a) of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, whose property and interests in property therefore are blocked pursuant to this section, are published in the FEDERAL REGISTER and incorporated into the SDN List with the identifier "[CAATSA-SYRIA]." The names of persons designated or identified as blocked pursuant to Section 7412 of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 ("Caesar Act"), whose property and interests in property therefore are blocked pursuant to this section, are published in the FEDERAL REGISTER and incorporated into the SDN List with the identifier "[SYRIA-CAESAR]." E.O. 13582 blocks the property and interests in property of the Government of Syria, as defined in § 542.308 . The property and interests in property of persons who meet the definition of the term Government of Syria are blocked pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section regardless of whether the names of such persons are published in the FEDERAL REGISTER or incorporated into the SDN List. Certain transactions with persons blocked pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section may result in the imposition of secondary sanctions pursuant to the Caesar Act, and therefore such blocked persons' entries on the SDN List will be updated to include the descriptive prefix text "Secondary sanctions risk:", followed by information about the applicable secondary sanctions authority. The SDN List is accessible through the following page on OFAC's website: https://ofac.treasury.gov. Additional information pertaining to the SDN List can be found in appendix A to this chapter. See § 542.411 concerning entities that may not be listed on the SDN List but whose property and interests in property are nevertheless blocked pursuant to this section.

Note 2 to § 542.201. Section 203 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 ) authorizes the blocking of property and interests in property of a person during the pendency of an investigation. Except as described in note 3 to this section, the names of persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pending investigation pursuant to this section are published in the FEDERAL REGISTER and incorporated into the SDN List using the following identifiers: for E.O. 13338, E.O. 13399, E.O. 13460, E.O. 13572, E.O. 13573, or E.O. 13582: "[BPI-SYRIA]"; for E.O. 13606: "[BPI-HRIT-SY]"; for the Syria Human Rights Accountability Act of 2012: "[BPI-SYRIA-TRA]"; for Section 234 of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act: "[BPI-CAATSA-SYRIA]"; for Section 7412 of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019: "[BPI-CAESAR]"; or for any further Executive orders issued pursuant to the national emergency declared in E.O. 13338: using the identifier formulation "[BPI-SYRIA-E.O.[E.O. number pursuant to which the person's property and interests in property are blocked pending investigation]]."

Note 3 to § 542.201: In certain cases, OFAC may issue an order to: identify as blocked specific property or interests in property of a person designated or otherwise blocked pursuant to this section; block specific property or interests in property of a person pending investigation; or block or impose other prohibitions with respect to specific property or interests in property less than full blocking sanctions. Notice of such orders will be provided: by publication in the FEDERAL REGISTER; in writing to persons OFAC may assess to have an interest in the property; or by issuing an order or directive in writing to financial institutions or other transaction intermediaries, and requiring the recipient of the order or directive to promptly disclose it to affected persons with whom the recipient maintains direct commercial relationships. Inquiries regarding any such order should be directed to OFAC's Compliance Division at 202-622-2490 or https://ofac.treasury.gov/contact-ofac.

Note 4 to § 542.201: Subpart E of part 501 of this chapter describes the procedures to be followed for the release of property and interests in property blocked pursuant to this section, including funds blocked due to mistaken identity or typographical or similar errors, and for administrative reconsideration of one's status as a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section.