2022-12004. Publication of Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations Web General Licenses 25A, 33, 34, and 35

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 four general licenses (GLs) issued pursuant to the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations: GL 25A, GL 33, GL 34, and GL 35, each of which was previously issued on OFAC's website.

DATES:

GL 25A, GL 33, GL 34, and GL 35 were each issued on May 8, 2022. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION of this publication 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 Sanctions Compliance & Evaluation, 202-622-2490.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Availability

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

Background

OFAC issued GL 25A, GL 33, GL 34, and GL 35 on May 8, 2022 on its website to authorize certain transactions otherwise prohibited by the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587. GL 25A does not contain an expiration date. GL 33 expires at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, June 7, 2022. GL 34 expires at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, July 7, 2022. GL 35 expires at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, August 20, 2022. The texts of GLs 25A, 33, 34, and 35 are provided below.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations 31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 25A

Authorizing Transactions Related to Telecommunications and Certain Internet-Based Communications

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this general license, all transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to the receipt or transmission of telecommunications involving the Russian Federation that are prohibited by the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587 (RuHSR), are authorized.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this general license, the exportation or reexportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States or by U.S. persons, wherever located, to the Russian Federation of services, software, hardware, or technology incident to the exchange of communications over the internet, such as instant messaging, videoconferencing, chat and email, social networking, sharing of photos, movies, and documents, web browsing, blogging, web hosting, and domain name registration services, that is prohibited by the RuHSR, is authorized.

(c) This general license does not authorize:

(1) The opening or maintaining of a correspondent account or payable-through account for or on behalf of any entity subject to Directive 2 under Executive Order (E.O.) 14024, Prohibitions Related to Correspondent or Payable-Through Accounts and Processing of Transactions Involving Certain Foreign Financial Institutions;

(2) 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;

(3) Any transactions prohibited by E.O. 14066 or E.O. 14068; or

(4) Any transactions involving Joint Stock Company Channel One Russia, Joint Stock Company NTV Broadcasting Company, or Television Station Russia-1, unless separately authorized.

(d) Effective May 8, 2022, General License No. 25, dated April 7, 2022, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this General License No. 25A.

Note to General License No. 25A. Nothing in this general license relieves any person from compliance with any other Federal laws or requirements of other Federal agencies, including export, reexport, and transfer (in-country) licensing requirements maintained by the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security under the Export Administration Regulations, 15 CFR parts 730-774.

Andrea M. Gacki

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control

Dated: May 8, 2022

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations 31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 33

Authorizing the Wind Down of Operations or Existing Contracts Involving Certain Blocked Entities

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this general license, all transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to the wind down of operations, contracts, or other agreements involving one or more of the following blocked persons that were in effect prior to May 8, 2022, and that are prohibited by Executive Order (E.O.) 14024, are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, June 7, 2022, provided that any payment to a blocked person must be made into a blocked account located in the United States in accordance with the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587 (RuHSR):

(1) Joint Stock Company Channel One Russia;

(2) Joint Stock Company NTV Broadcasting Company;

(3) Television Station Russia-1; or

(4) Any entity in which one or more of the above persons own, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, a 50 percent or greater interest.

(b) This general license does not authorize:

(1) 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;

(2) 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

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

Andrea M. Gacki

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control

Dated: May 8, 2022

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations 31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 34

Authorizing the Wind Down of Accounting, Trust and Corporate Formation, and Management Consulting Services

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this general license, all transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to the wind down of the exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States, or by a United States person, wherever located, of accounting, trust and corporate formation, or management consulting services to any person located in the Russian Federation that are prohibited by section 1(a)(ii) of Executive Order 14071 are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, July 7, 2022.

(b) This general license does not authorize 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.

Andrea M. Gacki

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control

Dated: May 8, 2022

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations 31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 35

Authorizing Transactions Involving Credit Rating and Auditing Services

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this general license, all transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to the exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States, or by a United States person, wherever located, of credit rating or auditing services to any person located in the Russian Federation that are prohibited by section 1(a)(ii) of Executive Order 14071 are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, August 20, 2022.

(b) This general license does not authorize 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.

Andrea M. Gacki

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control

Dated: May 8, 2022

Andrea M. Gacki,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.