What is Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)?

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) plays a pivotal role in safeguarding national security by enforcing economic and trade sanctions against targeted foreign countries and regimes. With over 1,500 sanctions programs currently active, OFAC’s influence extends globally, impacting businesses and financial institutions worldwide. Each year, OFAC’s sanctions help curb illicit activities by freezing assets, blocking transactions, and restricting trade with entities involved in terrorism, drug trafficking, and other serious threats. 

What Does OFAC Mean?

OFAC means ‘Office of Foreign Assets Control’.

What is the Purpose of OFAC?

OFAC is a U.S. Department of the Treasury division responsible for administering and enforcing U.S. economic and trade sanctions programs. Its mission is to help advance U.S. foreign policy goals by using sanctions and other tools to counter national security threats and promote foreign policy objectives.

Through its programs, OFAC prohibits U.S. an individual or entity from doing business with designated entities, including foreign governments, individuals, and groups, and imposes restrictions on their financial transactions and asset holdings. OFAC maintains a list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List) identifying individuals and organizations subject to U.S. sanctions.

OFAC's regulatory framework also requires financial institutions and other organizations to implement compliance programs to prevent and detect violations of U.S. economic sanctions. These compliance programs for OFAC include sanctions screening, risk assessments, and internal controls to ensure the organization does not engage in prohibited transactions.

What is the Office of Foreign Assets Control Responsible For?

The OFAC plays a crucial role in supporting U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives through the administration of economic and trade sanctions. Its responsibilities include:

• OFAC creates and manages comprehensive sanctions lists that target specific individuals, entities, and countries deemed threats to U.S. interests.
• The office oversees compliance with sanctions by U.S. citizens and businesses, investigating suspicious activities, and taking enforcement actions as needed.
• OFAC offers detailed instructions and support to help organizations navigate and adhere to sanctions requirements effectively.
• The office reviews and approves licenses for activities that may be exempt from sanctions, ensuring that exceptions are applied appropriately.
• OFAC's efforts are integral to safeguarding U.S. foreign policy and national security by implementing measures that address significant global threats.

What is The Role of OFAC?

OFAC's primary objective is to develop programs safeguarding U.S. foreign policy and national interests by collaborating with domestic and foreign intelligence agencies. In addition, OFAC is responsible for managing economic sanctions and determining administrative fines.

OFAC compliance programs apply to U.S. persons, which include citizens of other countries with a permanent (legal) residence permit in the United States, U.S. companies, all persons and entities located in the U.S., and entities controlled by U.S. citizens. OFAC regulations apply to every transaction a U.S. financial institution conducts as foreign financial institutions are subject to. 

The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) has been the foundation for modern sanctions programs since 1977. Its purpose is to address external threats to national security and the economy, both ordinary and extraordinary, by providing the president with economic and trade sanctions capabilities.

What are OFAC Sanctions?

OFAC enforces two main categories of sanctions:

1. Primary Sanctions: These sanctions directly prohibit U.S. residents and entities from engaging in any form of business or transactions with entities, individuals, or countries identified by OFAC as targets of sanctions. This includes a wide range of prohibitions designed to restrict economic and financial activities with those designated as threats to U.S. national security, foreign policy, or economy.
2. Secondary Sanctions: These are designed to extend the reach of U.S. sanctions beyond its borders, targeting foreign individuals, companies, and financial institutions that engage in certain transactions with sanctioned entities. These sanctions aim to deter non-U.S. entities from doing business with those under U.S. sanctions, effectively isolating the sanctioned targets from the global financial system.

The scope of OFAC's sanctions includes various forms of restrictions, such as:

• Trade Restrictions: These include bans or limitations on the import and export of goods, services, and technology between the U.S. and the sanctioned targets.
• Investment Restrictions: Prohibitions on direct or indirect investments in entities or countries that are under sanctions.
• Asset Freezes: Blocking or freezing of assets and financial resources of countries, organizations, or individuals identified as sanctioned targets.
• Travel Restrictions: Limitations or bans on travel for individuals who are directly targeted by sanctions.

OFAC implements these sanctions through:

• Comprehensive Sanctions: These are broad and affect entire countries, prohibiting most direct and indirect transactions with the sanctioned country.
• Selective Sanctions: These are more targeted, focusing on specific individuals, companies, or economic sectors within a country rather than the country as a whole.

Types of OFAC Sanctions

Country-based Sanctions

The U.S. government typically imposes country-based Sanctions in response to certain defined transactions and government regimes of interest. These sanctions usually target specific industries or sectors within a country and prohibit various activities such as trade in services and goods, financial transactions, and technology transfers. 

The nature and extent of these sanctions vary significantly. For instance, nations like Belarus, Libya, and Sudan face restrictions that primarily target transactions involving certain entities or individuals. Conversely, other countries are subject to more extensive measures, including:

• Restrictions on Russia
• Restrictions on North Korea
• Restrictions on Iran

List-based Sanctions 

List-based sanctions are a specific type of OFAC sanction that involves identifying and listing individuals, entities, and organizations on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List). Those listed are considered to pose a threat to U.S. interests, and all U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. This approach allows for targeted actions against those involved in terrorism, narcotics trafficking, human rights abuses, and other malign activities, effectively cutting them off from the U.S. financial system and economy. Additionally, according to OFAC's 50 Percent Rule, property and interests in property of entities that are directly or indirectly owned by one or more blocked persons to the degree of 50 percent or more in total are also blocked. This rule extends the impact of sanctions to entities controlled by sanctioned individuals or entities, further restricting their access to the U.S. financial system.

Sectoral Sanctions

Targeted sanctions that focus on specific sectors of a country's economy are known as sectoral sanctions. These sanctions involve specific sectoral sanctions identifications, pinpointing industries or segments contributing to undesirable activities.  

For instance, after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, the US government imposed sectoral sanctions on select firms in Russia's financial and energy sectors. These sanctions barred US individuals from financing or investing in these firms, effectively blocking their access to the US financial system and market.

Sectoral sanctions of OFAC are considered a more focused approach than broad-based OFAC sanctions since they aim to minimize the impact on non-targeted sectors of the economy. Nevertheless, they can still have significant economic and political implications for the targeted country and nations that conduct business with them.

To assist with understanding and compliance, OFAC provides detailed guidance and frequently asked questions (FAQs) for specific sanction programs. This information covers a range of topics, including:

• The Virtual Currency Industry
• Instant Payment Systems
• Implementing the Price Cap Policy
• Credit Report Consumers
• Services for compliance across different sanction programs

How to Avoid OFAC Sanctions?

OFAC sanctions are designed to prevent individuals and entities from engaging in transactions with OFAC-sanctioned countries, individuals, and organizations. The sanctions are put in place to protect national security, foreign policy, and economic stability. However, violating sanctions can result in severe legal and financial consequences for businesses and individuals alike. In this guide, we will provide you with tips on how to avoid violating its sanctions.

• Understand the OFAC Sanctions List

The first step in avoiding violating OFAC sanctions is understanding the sanctions-based lists. The list contains the names of countries, individuals, and organizations that are subject to economic and trade sanctions. Simply, it is a blocked persons list. It is essential to familiarize yourself with this list and regularly check it for updates.

• Conduct Due Diligence

Before engaging in any transaction with a foreign entity, it is essential to conduct due diligence. This means researching the entity to ensure they are not on the sanctions list. You should also consider conducting background checks on any individuals involved in the transaction.

• Establish an OFAC Compliance Program

Establishing an OFAC compliance program can help businesses and individuals avoid violating OFAC sanctions. This program should include policies and procedures for screening transactions, conducting due diligence, and controlling foreign funds. It should also include employee training on OFAC compliance and an OFAC-sanctioned list to ensure compliance. Regular screening against the OFAC SDN list should be integral to this compliance program.

• Know Your Customers and Partners

Knowing your customers and partners is crucial when engaging in international transactions. This means understanding their business operations, ownership structures, and financial histories via sanctions list search. This knowledge can help you identify any red flags indicating a potential OFAC violation.

• Understand the Scope of OFAC Sanctions

Sanctions can be broad or targeted. To avoid violating them, it is essential to understand their scope. For example, some sanctions may prohibit all transactions with a targeted country, while others may only prohibit specific types of transactions, such as financial transactions.

In addition to understanding the scope of sanctions, it is important to note that OFAC now also guides virtual asset compliance. Virtual assets, such as cryptocurrencies, have gained significant popularity in recent years, and their inclusion within the purview of OFAC's regulatory framework underscores the importance of compliance in the digital realm. Anyone who wants to understand and follow the changing sanctions landscape must stay current on OFAC's recent actions, as this will guarantee that they have a thorough understanding of the implications and applications of the sanctions. 

How Should Companies Report Possible Risks?

• Gather all relevant information: Ensure you have all the necessary information to support your suspicions of a possible violation. This may include documents, emails, and any other evidence that can help OFAC in its investigation.
• Contact OFAC: You can report a possible violation by calling OFAC's hotline at 1-800-540-6322 or emailing them at [email protected].
• Provide details: When reporting a possible violation, be sure to provide as much detail as possible about the incident, including the parties involved, the nature of the transaction, and any other relevant information that can help OFAC in its investigation.
• Keep your identity confidential (optional): If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can report the possible violation without revealing your identity.
• Follow up: After you report a possible violation, it's a good idea to follow up with OFAC to ensure that they received your report and to check on the status of the investigation.