Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 25, 2024

Title 31 - Money and Finance: Treasury last revised: Nov 18, 2024
§ 589.401 - Reference to amended sections.

(a) Reference to any section in this part is a reference to the same as currently amended, unless the reference includes a specific date. See 44 U.S.C. 1510.

(b) Reference to any ruling, order, instruction, direction, or license issued pursuant to this part is a reference to the same as currently amended unless otherwise so specified.

§ 589.402 - Effect of amendment.

Unless otherwise specifically provided, any amendment, modification, or revocation of any provision in or appendix to this part or chapter or of any order, regulation, ruling, instruction, or license issued by OFAC does not affect any act done or omitted, or any civil or criminal proceeding commenced or pending, prior to such amendment, modification, or revocation. All penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities under any such order, regulation, ruling, instruction, or license continue and may be enforced as if such amendment, modification, or revocation had not been made.

§ 589.403 - Termination and acquisition of an interest in blocked property.

(a) Whenever a transaction licensed or authorized by or pursuant to this part results in the transfer of property (including any property interest) away from a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201, such property shall no longer be deemed to be property blocked pursuant to § 589.201, unless there exists in the property another interest that is blocked pursuant to § 589.201, the transfer of which has not been effected pursuant to license or other authorization.

(b) Unless otherwise specifically provided in a license or authorization issued pursuant to this part, if property (including any property interest) is transferred or attempted to be transferred to a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201, such property shall be deemed to be property in which such person has an interest and therefore blocked.

§ 589.404 - Transactions ordinarily incident to a licensed transaction.

(a) Any transaction ordinarily incident to a licensed transaction and necessary to give effect thereto is also authorized, except:

(1) An ordinarily incident transaction, not explicitly authorized within the terms of the license, by or with a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201; or

(2) An ordinarily incident transaction, not explicitly authorized within the terms of the license, involving a debit to a blocked account or a transfer of blocked property.

(b) For example, a license authorizing a person to complete a securities sale involving Company A, whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201, also authorizes other persons to engage in activities that are ordinarily incident and necessary to complete the sale, including transactions by the buyer, broker, transfer agents, and banks, provided that such other persons are not themselves persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201.

§ 589.405 - Exportation and reexportation of goods, services, or technology; provision and receipt of services.

(a) The prohibition on the exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply of goods, services, or technology contained in § 589.207 applies to services performed on behalf of a person in the Crimea region of Ukraine or where the benefit of such services is otherwise received in the Crimea region of Ukraine, if such services are performed:

(1) In the United States; or

(2) Outside the United States by a U.S. person.

(b) The prohibitions contained in § 589.201 apply to services performed in the United States or by U.S. persons, wherever located:

(1) On behalf of or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201; or

(2) With respect to property interests of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201.

(c) The prohibitions contained in § 589.201 apply to services received in the United States or by U.S. persons, wherever located, where the service is performed by or at the direction of a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201.

(d)(1) For example, U.S. persons may not, except as authorized by or pursuant to this part, provide legal, accounting, financial, brokering, freight forwarding, transportation, public relations, or other services to any person in the Crimea region of Ukraine or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201, or negotiate with or enter into contracts signed by a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201.

(2) For example, a U.S. person is engaged in a prohibited exportation of services to the Crimea region of Ukraine when it extends credit to a third-country firm specifically to enable that firm to manufacture goods for sale to the Crimea region of Ukraine.

Note 1 to § 589.405:

See, for example, §§ 589.506 and 589.508 for general licenses authorizing the provision of certain legal and emergency medical services.

§ 589.406 - Offshore transactions involving blocked property.

The prohibitions in § 589.201 on transactions or dealings involving blocked property, as defined in § 589.303, apply to transactions by any U.S. person in a location outside the United States.

§ 589.407 - Payments from blocked accounts to satisfy obligations prohibited.

Pursuant to § 589.201, no debits may be made to a blocked account to pay obligations to U.S. persons or other persons, except as authorized by or pursuant to this part.

Note 1 to § 589.407:

See also § 589.502(e), which provides that no license or other authorization contained in or issued pursuant to this part authorizes transfers of or payments from blocked property or debits to blocked accounts unless the license or other authorization explicitly authorizes the transfer of or payment from blocked property or the debit to a blocked account.

§ 589.408 - Charitable contributions.

Unless specifically authorized by OFAC pursuant to this part, no charitable contribution of funds, goods, services, or technology, including contributions to relieve human suffering, such as food, clothing, or medicine, may be made by, to, or for the benefit of, or received from, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201. For the purposes of this part, a contribution is made by, to, or for the benefit of, or received from, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201 if made by, to, or in the name of, or received from or in the name of, such a person; if made by, to, or in the name of, or received from or in the name of, an entity or individual acting for or on behalf of, or owned or controlled by, such a person; or if made in an attempt to violate, to evade, or to avoid the bar on the provision of contributions by, to, or for the benefit of such a person, or the receipt of contributions from such a person.

§ 589.409 - Credit extended and cards issued by financial institutions to a person whose property and interests in property are blocked.

The prohibition in § 589.201 on dealing in property subject to that section prohibits U.S. financial institutions from performing under any existing credit agreements, including charge cards, debit cards, or other credit facilities issued by a financial institution to a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201.

§ 589.410 - Setoffs prohibited.

A setoff against blocked property (including a blocked account), whether by a U.S. financial institution or other U.S. person, is a prohibited transfer under § 589.201 if effected after the effective date.

§ 589.411 - Entities owned by one or more persons whose property and interests in property are blocked or who are subject to or § 589.205.

(a) Persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201 have an interest in all property and interests in property of an entity in which such persons directly or indirectly own, whether individually or in the aggregate, a 50 percent or greater interest. The property and interests in property of such an entity, therefore, are blocked, and such an entity is a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to § 589.201, regardless of whether the name of the entity is incorporated into OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List).

(b) Persons subject to § 589.202, § 589.203, § 589.204, or § 589.205 have an interest in all property and interests in property of an entity in which such persons directly or indirectly own, whether individually or in the aggregate, a 50 percent or greater interest. The property and interests in property of such an entity, therefore, are also subject to § 589.202, § 589.203, § 589.204, or § 589.205, regardless of whether the name of the entity is incorporated into OFAC's Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List.

§ 589.412 - Projects owned, or to which a majority of voting rights are held, by one or more persons subject to § 589.205.

The prohibitions in § 589.205(b) apply to projects owned 33 percent or more, or to projects in which a majority of voting interests are held, individually or in the aggregate, by one or more persons subject to § 589.205, their property, or their interests in property, including entities owned 50 percent or more by one or more persons subject to § 589.205.

Example 1 to § 589.412:If two entities that are each subject to § 589.205 each hold a 20 percent ownership interest in Project X, or together own a majority of the voting interests in Project X, then the prohibition in § 589.205(b) applies to Project X.
§ 589.413 - Significant transaction(s); significant financial transaction(s).

In determining, for the purposes of §§ 589.201(a)(6)(vii) and 589.209, whether a transaction or a financial transaction is significant, the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary's designee will consider the totality of the facts and circumstances. As a general matter, some or all of the following factors may be considered:

(a) Size, number, and frequency. The size, number, and frequency of transaction(s) over a period of time, including whether the transaction(s) is increasing or decreasing over time and the rate of increase or decrease.

(b) Nature. The nature of the transaction(s), including the type, complexity, and commercial purpose of the transaction(s).

(c) Level of awareness; pattern of conduct. (1) Whether the transaction(s) is performed with the involvement or approval of management or only by clerical personnel; and

(2) Whether the transaction(s) is part of a pattern of conduct or the result of a business development strategy.

(d) Nexus. (1) For the purposes of § 589.201(a)(6)(vii), the proximity between the foreign person engaging in the transaction(s) and the person(s) subject to sanctions pursuant to the Support for the Sovereignty, Integrity, Democracy, and Economic Stability of Ukraine Act of 2014, as amended (22 U.S.C. 8901-8910) (SSIDES), the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014, as amended (22 U.S.C. 8921-8930) (UFSA), title II of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (Pub. L. 115-44, 131 Stat. 886 (codified in scattered sections of 22 U.S.C.)) (CAATSA), and any covered Executive order, or any child, spouse, parent, or sibling of such an individual.

(2) For the purposes of § 589.209(b), the proximity between the foreign financial institution engaging in the transaction(s) and the person with respect to which sanctions are imposed under section 4 of UFSA.

(3) For the purposes of § 589.209(c), the proximity between the foreign financial institution engaging in the financial transaction(s) and the Russian person included on OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List) as blocked pursuant to UFSA, E.O. 13660, E.O. 13661, E.O. 13662, or any other Executive order addressing the crisis in Ukraine.

(e) Impact. The impact of the transaction(s) on the objectives of UFSA, SSIDES, CAATSA, E.O. 13660, E.O. 13661, E.O. 13662, E.O. 13685, or any other Executive order issued pursuant to the national emergency declared in E.O. 13660.

(f) Deceptive practices. Whether the transaction(s) involves an attempt to obscure or conceal the actual parties or true nature of the transaction(s), or to evade sanctions.

(g) Other relevant factors. Such other factors that the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary's designee deems relevant on a case-by-case basis in determining the significance of a transaction(s).

(h) Persons solely identified on the Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List (SSI List) or Non-SDN Menu-Based Sanctions List (NS-MBS List). For the purposes of § 589.201(a)(6)(vii) and § 589.209(b), a transaction in which the person(s) subject to sanctions is only identified on the SSI List or the NS-MBS List must also involve deceptive practices, for example attempts to obscure or conceal the actual parties or true nature of the transaction(s), or to evade sanctions, to potentially be considered significant.

(i) Applicability. For the purposes of this part, a transaction is not significant if U.S. persons would not require a specific license from OFAC to participate in it.

§ 589.414 - Facilitation; change of policies and procedures; referral of business opportunities offshore.

With respect to § 589.215, a prohibited facilitation or approval of a transaction by a foreign person occurs, among other instances, when a U.S. person:

(a) Alters its operating policies or procedures, or those of a foreign affiliate, to permit a foreign affiliate to accept or perform a specific contract, engagement, or transaction described in §§ 589.206 through 589.208 without the approval of the U.S. person, where such transaction previously required approval by the U.S. person and such transaction by the foreign affiliate would be prohibited by this part if performed directly by a U.S. person or from the United States;

(b) Refers to a foreign person purchase orders, requests for bids, or similar business opportunities involving a transaction described in §§ 589.206 through 589.208 to which the U.S. person could not directly respond as a result of the prohibitions contained in this part; or

(c) Changes the operating policies and procedures of a particular affiliate with the specific purpose of facilitating transactions that would be prohibited by this part if performed by a U.S. person or from the United States.

source: 87 FR 26099, May 2, 2022, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 31 CFR 589.414