2023-21396. Publication of Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations Web General Licenses 55A and 72

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 55A and 72, each of which was previously made available on OFAC's website.

DATES:

GLs 55A and 72 were issued on September 14, 2023. 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 September 14, 2023, OFAC issued GLs 55A and 72 to authorize certain transactions otherwise prohibited by the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587. GL 55A has an expiration date of June 28, 2024. GL 72 has an expiration date of December 13, 2023. Each GL 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. 55A

Authorizing Certain Services Related to Sakhalin-2

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this general license, all transactions prohibited by the determination of November 21, 2022 made pursuant to section 1(a)(ii) of Executive Order 14071 (“Prohibitions on Certain Services as They Relate to the Maritime Transport of Crude Oil of Russian Federation Origin”) related to the maritime transport of crude oil originating from the Sakhalin-2 project (“Sakhalin-2 byproduct”) are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, June 28, 2024, provided that the Sakhalin-2 byproduct is solely for importation into Japan.

(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.

(c) Effective September 14, 2023, General License No. 55, dated November 22, 2022, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this General License No. 55A.

Bradley T. Smith,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Dated: September 14, 2023.

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations

31 CFR Part 587

GENERAL LICENSE NO. 72

Authorizing the Wind Down of Transactions Involving Certain Entities Blocked on September 14, 2023

(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 persons (collectively, the “Blocked Entities”) are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time, December 13, 2023, provided that any payment to a Blocked Entity is made into a blocked account in accordance with the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587 (RuHSR):

(1) Joint Stock Company Russian Copper Company;

(2) Joint Stock Company United Metallurgical Company;

(3) Transmashholding JSC;

(4) Joint Stock Company Avtovaz;

(5) Joint Stock Company Moscow Automotive Factory Moskvich;

(6) Limited Liability Company Machine Building Plant Tonar;

(7) Publichnoe Aktsionernoe Obschestvo Sollers;

(8) Arctic Transshipment Limited Liability Company; or

(9) 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 Entities described in paragraph (a) of this general license, unless separately authorized.

Bradley T. Smith,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Dated: September 14, 2023.

Bradley T. Smith,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.