Listing Blocked Persons

Ofac Amendment to Method of Listing Blocked Persons in 2011

United States views on international law (based on the document “Digest of U.S. Practice in International Law”): On June 30, 2011, OFAC published a final rule amending its regulations to remove the alphabetical lists (in appendices to those regulations) of all persons and vessels subject to blocking under its various economic sanctions programs, and replace those lists with references and instructions on where to find the most up-to-date information on those persons and vessels. 76 Fed. Reg. 38,534 (June 30, 2011). The background section in the Federal Register notice explained the reason for the change:

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (”OFAC”) maintains a list of blocked persons, blocked vessels, specially designated nationals, specially designated terrorists, specially designated global terrorists, foreign terrorist organizations, and specially designated narcotics traffickers whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the various economic sanctions programs administered by OFAC. OFAC previously has published that list as Appendix A to 31 CFR chapter V. OFAC is hereby amending Appendix A to replace this list with information on how to obtain up-to-date lists of such persons and vessels on OFAC’s Web site or by other means, as well as with additional information pertaining to the lists. OFAC also is removing Appendix B to 31 CFR chapter V, which includes the names of certain blocked vessels, because more up-to-date information on such blocked vessels may be obtained on OFAC’s Web site or by other means. Finally, OFAC is amending its regulations for a number of the sanctions programs it administers to revise references to Appendix A and remove references to Appendix B.

… Because new or updated information may be published in the Federal Register and added to OFAC’s Web site at any time, the list of persons that previously appeared at Appendix A could be out-of-date at the time of its annual publication in the Federal Register. Frequently updated information on OFAC designations and other actions resulting in blocking is provided for examination on, or downloading from, OFAC’s Web site (https://www.treasury.gov/ofac). Among other information, OFAC provides on its Web site the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (”SDN List”). OFAC updates the SDN List on an ongoing basis to reflect the inclusion or deletion of names as a result of new blocking, designation, identification, or delisting actions, as well as changes in identifying information, including alternative spellings and aliases. These updates also are published in notices in the Federal Register. Because the SDN List is updated on an ongoing basis to reflect additions and deletions of names, as well as changes in identifying information, it provides more up-to-date information than the list of persons previously published on an annual basis at Appendix A.

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See Also

• Sanctions
• Export Controls
• International Restrictions
• Blocked Persons