2024-03629. Publication of Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations Web General Licenses 13H and 86

AGENCY:

Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury.

ACTION:

Publication of web general licenses.

SUMMARY:

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is publishing two general licenses (GLs) issued pursuant to the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations: GLs 13H and 86, each of which was previously made available on OFAC's website.

DATES:

GLs 13H and 86 were issued on January 18, 2024. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional relevant dates.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

OFAC: Assistant Director for Licensing, 202–622–2480; Assistant Director for Regulatory Affairs, 202–622–4855; or Assistant Director for Compliance, 202–622–2490.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Availability

This document and additional information concerning OFAC are available on OFAC's website: https://ofac.treasury.gov/​.

Background

On January 18, 2024, OFAC issued GLs 13H and 86 to authorize certain transactions otherwise prohibited by the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587. Each GL has an expiration date of April 17, 2024 and was made available on OFAC's website ( https://ofac.treasury.gov/​) at the time of publication. The text of these GLs is provided below.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 13H

Authorizing Certain Administrative Transactions Prohibited by Directive 4 Under Executive Order 14024

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this general license, U.S. persons, or entities owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by a U.S. person, are authorized to pay taxes, fees, or import duties, and purchase or receive permits, licenses, registrations, certifications, or tax refunds to the extent such transactions are prohibited by Directive 4 under Executive Order 14024, Prohibitions Related to Transactions Involving the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, provided such transactions are ordinarily incident and necessary to the day-to-day operations in the Russian Federation of such U.S. persons or entities, through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, April 17, 2024.

(b) This general license does not authorize:

(1) Any debit to an account on the books of a U.S. financial institution of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, or the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation; or

(2) Any transactions otherwise prohibited by the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587 (RuHSR), including transactions involving any person blocked pursuant to the RuHSR, unless separately authorized.

(c) Effective January 18, 2024, General License No. 13G, dated November 2, 2023, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this General License No. 13H.

Bradley T. Smith,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Dated: January 18, 2024.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 86

Authorizing Limited Safety and Environmental Transactions Involving Certain Persons or Vessels Blocked on January 18, 2024

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this general license, all transactions prohibited by Executive Order (E.O.) 14024 that are ordinarily incident and necessary to one of the following activities involving the blocked persons described in paragraph (b) are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, April 17, 2024, provided that any payment to a blocked person must be made into a blocked account in accordance with the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations (RuHSR):

(1) The safe docking and anchoring in port of any vessels in which any person or entity listed in paragraph (b) of this general license has a property interest (“blocked vessels”);

(2) The preservation of the health or safety of the crew of any of the blocked vessels; or

(3) Emergency repairs of any of the blocked vessels or environmental mitigation or protection activities relating to any of the blocked vessels.

(b) The authorization in paragraph (a) of this general license applies to Hennesea Holdings Limited (Hennesea) and any entity in which Hennesea owns, directly or indirectly, a 50 percent or greater interest.

(c) This general license does not authorize:

(1) The entry into any new commercial contracts involving the property or interests in property of any blocked persons, including the blocked persons described in paragraph (b) of this general license, except as authorized by paragraph (a);

(2) The offloading of any cargo onboard any of the blocked vessels, including the offloading of crude oil or petroleum products of Russian Federation origin, except for the offloading of cargo that is ordinarily incident and necessary to address vessel emergencies authorized pursuant to paragraph (a) of this general license;

(3) Any transactions related to the sale of crude oil or petroleum products of Russian Federation origin;

(4) Any transactions prohibited by Directive 2 under E.O. 14024, Prohibitions Related to Correspondent or Payable-Through Accounts and Processing of Transactions Involving Certain Foreign Financial Institutions;

(5) Any transactions prohibited by Directive 4 under E.O. 14024, Prohibitions Related to Transactions Involving the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation; or

(6) Any transactions otherwise prohibited by the RuHSR, including transactions involving the property or interests in property of any person blocked pursuant to the RuHSR, other than transactions involving the blocked persons described in paragraph (b) of this general license, unless separately authorized.

Bradley T. Smith,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Dated: January 18, 2024.

Bradley T. Smith,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.