2024-17804. Publication of Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations Web General Licenses 6D, 8J, 25D, 98, 99, and 100

( print page 65994)

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Department of the Treasury

Office of Foreign Assets Control

1. 31 CFR Part 587

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 six general licenses (GLs) issued pursuant to the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations: GLs 6D, 8J, 25D, 98, 99, and 100, each of which were previously made available on OFAC's website.

DATES:

GLs 6D, 8J, 25D, 98, 99, and 100 were issued on June 12, 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 June 12, 2024, OFAC issued GLs 6D, 8J, 25D, 98, 99, and 100 to authorize certain transactions otherwise prohibited by the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587. GL 8J has an expiration date of November 1, 2024; GL 98 has an expiration date of July 27, 2024; and GLs 99 and 100 have an expiration date of August 13, 2024. GLs 6D, 8J and 25D superseded GLs 6C, 8I, and 25C, respectively. Each GL was made available on OFAC's website ( www.treas.gov/​ofac) when it was issued. 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. 6D

Transactions Related to Agricultural Commodities, Medicine, Medical Devices, Replacement Parts and Components, or Software Updates, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic, or Clinical Trials

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this general license, all transactions prohibited by the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587, related to: (1) the production, manufacturing, sale, transport, or provision of agricultural commodities, agricultural equipment, medicine, medical devices, replacement parts and components for medical devices, or software updates for medical devices; (2) the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of COVID-19 (including research or clinical studies relating to COVID-19); or (3) clinical trials and other medical research activities are authorized.

(b) For the purposes of this general license, agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices are defined as follows:

(1) Agricultural commodities. For the purposes of this general license, agricultural commodities are products that fall within the term “agricultural commodity” as defined in section 102 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5602) and are intended for use as:

(i) Food for humans (including raw, processed, and packaged foods; live animals; vitamins and minerals; food additives or supplements; and bottled drinking water) or animals (including animal feeds);

(ii) Seeds for food crops;

(iii) Fertilizers or organic fertilizers; or

(iv) Reproductive materials (such as live animals, fertilized eggs, embryos, and semen) for the production of food animals.

(2) Medicine. For the purposes of this general license, medicine is an item that falls within the definition of the term “drug” in section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321).

(3) Medical devices. For the purposes of this general license, a medical device is an item that falls within the definition of “device” in section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321).

(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; or

(3) Transactions prohibited by E.O. 14066, E.O. 14068, or E.O. 14071, except for transactions prohibited by the determination of May 8, 2022, made pursuant to section 1(a)(ii) of E.O. 14071, “Prohibitions Related to Certain Accounting, Trust and Corporate Formation, and Management Consulting Services,” or the determination of June 12, 2024, made pursuant to section 1(a)(ii) of E.O. 14071, “Prohibition on Certain Information Technology and Software Services.”

(d) Effective June 12, 2024, General License No. 6C, dated January 17, 2023, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this General License No. 6D.

Note 1 to General License No. 6D. Transactions prohibited by E.O. 14066, E.O. 14068, and E.O. 14071 include new investment in the Russian Federation and the importation into the United States of certain products of Russian Federation origin, such as alcoholic beverages and fish, seafood, or preparations thereof.

Note 2 to General License No. 6D. Nothing in this general license relieves any person from compliance with any other Federal laws or requirements of other Federal agencies.

Bradley T. Smith,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control

Dated: June 12, 2024.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations 31 CFR part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 8J

Authorizing Transactions Related to Energy

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this general license, all transactions prohibited by Executive Order (E.O.) 14024 involving one or more of the following entities that are related to energy are authorized, through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, November 1, 2024:

(1) State Corporation Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs Vnesheconombank;

(2) Public Joint Stock Company Bank Financial Corporation Otkritie;

(3) Sovcombank Open Joint Stock Company;

(4) Public Joint Stock Company Sberbank of Russia;

(5) VTB Bank Public Joint Stock Company;

(6) Joint Stock Company Alfa-Bank;

(7) Public Joint Stock Company Rosbank;

(8) Bank Zenit Public Joint Stock Company;

(9) Bank Saint-Petersburg Public Joint Stock Company;

(10) National Clearing Center (NCC);

(11) 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; or

(12) the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

(b) For the purposes of this general license, the term “related to energy” means the extraction, production, refinement, liquefaction, gasification, regasification, conversion, enrichment, fabrication, transport, or purchase of petroleum, including crude oil, lease condensates, unfinished oils, natural gas liquids, petroleum products, natural gas, or other products capable of producing energy, such as coal, wood, or agricultural products used ( print page 65995) to manufacture biofuels, or uranium in any form, as well as the development, production, generation, transmission, or exchange of power, through any means, including nuclear, thermal, and renewable energy sources.

(c) This general license does not authorize:

(1) Any transactions prohibited by Directive 1A under E.O. 14024, Prohibitions Related to Certain Sovereign Debt of the Russian Federation;

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

(3) Any debit to an account on the books of a U.S. financial institution of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation; or

(4) 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 other than the blocked persons described in paragraph (a) of this general license, unless separately authorized.

(d) Effective June 12, 2024, General License No. 8I, dated April 29, 2024, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this General License No. 8J.

Note to General License No. 8J. This authorization is valid until November 1, 2024, unless renewed.

Bradley T. Smith,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Dated: June 12, 2024.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 25D

Authorizing Transactions Related to Telecommunications and Certain internet-Based Communications

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (d) 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 (d) 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 incident to the exchange of communications over the internet, such as instant messaging, chat and email, social networking, sharing of photos and movies, web browsing, blogging, social media platforms, collaboration platforms, video conferencing, e-gaming, e-learning platforms, automated translation, web maps, user authentication services, web hosting, and domain name registration services, that is prohibited by the RuHSR, is authorized.

(c) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this general license, the exportation or reexportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States or by U.S. persons, to the Russian Federation of software, hardware, or technology incident to the exchange of communications over the internet is authorized, provided that:

(i) If the software, hardware, or technology is subject to the Export Administration Regulations, 15 CFR parts 730 through 774 (EAR), the exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply to the Russian Federation of such software, hardware, or technology is licensed or otherwise authorized by the Department of Commerce pursuant to the EAR; and

(ii) If the software, hardware, or technology is not subject to the EAR, the exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply to the Russian Federation of such software, hardware, or technology would be eligible for a license exception or otherwise authorized by the Department of Commerce if it were subject to the EAR.

(d) 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, Television Station Russia-1, Limited Liability Company Algoritm, New Eastern Outlook, Oriental Review, or Garantex Europe OU, unless separately authorized.

(e) Effective June 12, 2024, General License No. 25C, dated July 14, 2022, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this General License No. 25D.

Note to General License No. 25D. 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 EAR.

Bradley T. Smith,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Dated: June 12, 2024.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 98

Authorizing the Wind Down of Transactions Involving Certain Entities Blocked on June 12, 2024

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this general license, all transactions prohibited by Executive Order (E.O.) 14024 that are ordinarily incident and necessary to the wind down of any transaction involving one or more of the following blocked entities are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, July 27, 2024, provided that any payment to a blocked person is made into a blocked account in accordance with the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587 (RuHSR):

(1) Aviatech FZC

(2) Beijing Deepcool Industries Co., Ltd.

(3) Guangdong Pratic CNC Technology Co., Ltd.

(4) Joint Stock Company Uralredmet

(5) Joint Stock Company Goznak

(6) Limited Liability Company Elga Stroy Mining Services

(7) Limited Liability Company Elgaugol

(8) Limited Liability Company Management Company Elga

(9) Limited Liability Company Koulstar

(10) Max Jet Service Limited Liability Company

(11) Mile Hao Xiang Technology Co., Ltd.

(12) Platin Group Machine Manufacturing International Company Limited

(13) Public Joint Stock Company Seligdar

(14) Shandong Oree Laser Technology Co., Ltd.

(15) Wuhan Tianyu Information Industry Co., Ltd; or

(16) Any entity in which one or more 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.

Bradley T. Smith,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Dated: June 12, 2024.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 99

Authorizing the Wind Down of Transactions and Certain Transactions Related to Debt or Equity of, or Derivative Contracts Involving, MOEX, NCC, or NSD

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this general license, all transactions prohibited by Executive Order (E.O.) 14024 that are ordinarily incident and necessary to ( print page 65996) the wind down of any transaction involving one or more of the following blocked entities are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, August 13, 2024, provided that any payment to a blocked person is made into a blocked account in accordance with the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587 (RuHSR):

(1) Moscow Exchange (MOEX);

(2) National Clearing Center (NCC);

(3) Non-Bank Credit Institution Joint Stock Company National Settlement Depository (NSD); and

(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) Except as provided in paragraphs (e) and (f) of this general license, all transactions prohibited by E.O. 14024 that are ordinarily incident and necessary to the divestment or transfer, or the facilitation of the divestment or transfer, of debt or equity issued or guaranteed by any of the blocked entities identified in paragraph (a) (“Covered Debt or Equity”) to a non-U.S. person are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, August 13, 2024, 2024:

(c) Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this general license, all transactions prohibited by E.O. 14024 that are ordinarily incident and necessary to facilitating, clearing, and settling trades of Covered Debt or Equity that were placed prior to 4:00 p.m. eastern daylight time, June 12, 2024 are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, August 13, 2024, 2024.

(d) Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this general license, all transactions prohibited by E.O. 14024 that are ordinarily incident and necessary to the wind down of derivative contracts entered into prior to 4:00 p.m. eastern daylight time June 12, 2024 that (i) include a blocked person described in paragraph (a) of this general license as a counterparty or (ii) are linked to Covered Debt or Equity are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time August 13, 2024, provided that any payments to a blocked person are made into a blocked account in accordance with the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587 (RuHSR).

(e) Paragraph (b) of this general license does not authorize:

(1) U.S. persons to sell, or to facilitate the sale of, Covered Debt or Equity to, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked; or

(2) U.S. persons to purchase or invest in, or to facilitate the purchase of or investment in, directly or indirectly, Covered Debt or Equity, other than purchases of or investments in Covered Debt or Equity ordinarily incident and necessary to the divestment or transfer of Covered Debt or Equity as described in paragraph (b) of this general license.

(f) 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.

Bradley T. Smith,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Dated: June 12, 2024.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 100

Authorizing Certain Transactions Related to Debt or Equity or the Conversion of Currencies Involving MOEX, NCC, or NSD

(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 the divestment of debt or equity to a non-U.S. person, who is not a person whose property or interests in property are blocked, or the conversion of currencies, involving one or more of the following blocked entities that is acting solely as a securities, trade, or settlement depository, central counterparty or clearing house, or public trading market, are authorized through 12:01 eastern daylight time August 13, 2024:

(1) Moscow Exchange (MOEX);

(2) National Clearing Center (NCC);

(3) Non-Bank Credit Institution Joint Stock Company National Settlement Depository (NSD); and

(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.

(c) 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.

Bradley T. Smith,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Dated: June 12, 2024.

Bradley T. Smith,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.