The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published an amendment to the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations (SSR), 31 C.F.R. Part 538, on January 17, 2017. The amendment authorizes all transactions that were previously prohibited under the SSR, including transactions involving the Government of Sudan. OFAC’s SSR amendment comes as a broad general license at Section 538.540. Additionally, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amended the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to set out a favorable licensing policy for certain exports or reexports to Sudan of items meant to protect the safety of civil aviation or the safe operation of fixed-wing, commercial passenger aircraft, as well as certain items related to railroads. The lifting of OFAC’s sanctions against Sudan and the new BIS licensing policy will open important new opportunities for business in the country, and will considerably simplify non-commercial activity there. For more information, please see our advisory.
