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Treasury Issues Additional General Licenses and Guidance in Support of Humanitarian Assistance and Other Support to Afghanistan
12/22/2021

U.S. Department of the Treasury

Office of Public Affairs

Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 22, 2021

Contact: Treasury Public Affairs; Press@Treasury.gov

Treasury Issues Additional General Licenses and Guidance in Support of Humanitarian Assistance and Other Support to Afghanistan

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued three General Licenses to facilitate the continued flow of humanitarian assistance and other support for the Afghan people. These actions underscore the United States’ commitment to support the people of Afghanistan and continue the U.S. government’s longstanding practice of authorizing the provision of humanitarian goods and services to areas affected by U.S. sanctions. Treasury’s OFAC also issued a Fact Sheet that highlights and consolidates all the relevant authorizations and guidance facilitating the flow of humanitarian assistance, personal remittances, and other support to the Afghan people.

“The United States is the largest single provider of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. We are committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan, which is why Treasury is taking these additional steps to facilitate assistance,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo. “Unfortunately, the economy faces grave challenges, exacerbated by the country’s long dependence on foreign aid, donor and private sector flight sparked by the Taliban’s takeover, drought, structural macroeconomic issues, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Treasury has provided broad authorizations that ensure NGOs, international organizations, and the U.S. government can continue to provide relief to those in need.”

As part of Treasury’s commitment to enabling humanitarian assistance and other support to Afghanistan, OFAC issued the following General Licenses that expand upon existing authorizations related to the provision of humanitarian assistance and other activities that support basic human needs and enable broader support for the Afghan people:
General License 17 authorizes all transactions and activities involving the Taliban or the Haqqani Network that are for the conduct of the official business of the United States Government by employees, grantees, or contractors thereof, subject to certain conditions.
General License 18 authorizes all transactions and activities involving the Taliban or the Haqqani Network that are for the conduct of the official business of certain international organizations and other international entities by employees, grantees, or contractors thereof, subject to certain conditions.
General License 19 authorizes all transactions and activities involving the Taliban or the Haqqani Network, that are ordinarily incident and necessary to the following activities by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), subject to certain conditions: humanitarian projects to meet basic human needs; activities to support rule of law, citizen participation, government accountability and transparency, human rights and fundamental freedoms, access to information, and civil society development projects; education; non-commercial development projects directly benefitting the Afghan people; and environmental and natural resource protection.

There are no OFAC-administered sanctions that generally prohibit the export or reexport of goods or services to Afghanistan, moving or sending money into and out of Afghanistan, or activities in Afghanistan, provided that such transactions or activities do not involve sanctioned individuals, entities, or property in which sanctioned individuals and entities have an interest. In all cases, authorized transactions and activities must comply with the terms and conditions set forth in the applicable General License. Notably, the General Licenses listed above explicitly do not authorize financial transfers to the Taliban or the Haqqani Network, other than for the purpose of effecting the payment of taxes, fees, or import duties, or the purchase or receipt of permits, licenses, or public utility services related to the activities specified. For more information, please see GLs 17, 18, and 19.

These GLs also help implement adopted resolution UNSCR 2615 (2021), which authorizes humanitarian assistance and other activities that support basic human needs as those terms are understood by the United Nations Security Council, as well as the processing and payment of funds, other financial assets or economic resources, and the provision of goods and services necessary to ensure the timely delivery of such assistance or to support such activities.

This Resolution, drafted by the United States and unanimously adopted today by the 15 members of the UN Security Council, establishes a carveout in the UN 1988 sanctions regime to ensure urgently needed aid can reach the Afghan people. Specifically, UNSCR 2615 (2021) was intended to cover activities contemplated in the United Nations’ Transitional Engagement Framework (TEF) for Afghanistan, such as providing life-saving assistance; sustaining essential services; and preserving social investments and community-level systems essential to meeting basic human needs. The Resolution also requests periodic updates by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator to ensure assistance is reaching the intended beneficiaries, not being diverted to the Taliban.

Concurrent with these actions, OFAC updated three Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and issued six new FAQs. These FAQs provide clarity on the scope of GLs and address some of the questions that OFAC has received regarding its sanctions on the Taliban and the Haqqani Network. For more information, please see FAQs 928, 929, 931, 950, 951, 952, 953, 954, and 955.

OFAC also issued a humanitarian Fact Sheet, “Provision of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan and Support for the Afghan People,” providing an overview of the abovementioned authorizations and guidance, along with other relevant authorizations and FAQs.

For transactions not otherwise authorized or exempt, OFAC considers license requests on a case-by-case basis and prioritizes applications, compliance questions, and other requests related to humanitarian activity. For more information regarding the scope of any sanctions program’s requirements or the applicability or scope of any humanitarian-related authorizations, please contact OFAC’s Sanction Compliance and Evaluation Division at (800) 540-6322 or (202) 622-2490, or by email at OFAC_Feedback@treasury.gov.

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Treasury Designates al-Qa’ida Support Network in Brazil
12/22/2021
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Office of Public Affairs
Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 22, 2021
Contact: Treasury Public Affairs; Press@Treasury.gov

Treasury Designates al-Qa’ida Support Network in Brazil

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated members of a Brazil-based network of al-Qa’ida-affiliated individuals and their companies for providing support to the terrorist group. Today’s action targets three individuals and two entities, including al-Qa’ida operative in Brazil Haytham Ahmad Shukri Ahmad Al-Maghrabi (Al-Maghrabi), as Specially Designated Global Terrorists pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended.

“The activities of this Brazil-based network demonstrate that al-Qa’ida remains a pervasive global terrorist threat, and today’s designations will help deny the group’s access to the formal financial system,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury Brian E. Nelson. “The United States is committed to working with our foreign partners, including Brazil, to dismantle al-Qa’ida’s financial support networks.”

Al-Qa’ida continues to pose a threat to the United States and other nations worldwide. Al-Qa’ida and its regional affiliates generate their funding from individual fundraisers in Gulf countries and supporters throughout the world. As al-Qa’ida generates almost all its revenue outside of the United States, the U.S. government has aggressively utilized financial tools to limit al-Qa’ida’s funding streams globally. This includes designating nearly 300 individuals and entities affiliated with al-Qa’ida and other terrorist organizations throughout Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Gulf, Africa, and other regions.

Haytham Ahmad Shukri Ahmad Al-Maghrabi

In 2015, Al-Maghrabi arrived in Brazil, where he was one of the initial members of an al-Qa’ida network. Al-Maghrabi had frequent contact and business dealings, to include the purchase of foreign currency, with another al-Qa’ida-affiliated individual based in Brazil. As of late 2018, Al-Maghrabi reported to and was Ahmed Mohammed Hamed Ali’s al-Qa’ida contact in Brazil. Ahmed Mohammed Hamed Ali (Ali) was designated as an SDGT pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 12, 2001.

Treasury designated Haytham Ahmad Shukri Ahmad Al-Maghrabi pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, al-Qa’ida.

Additional Al-Qa’ida Individuals and Their Businesses

Mohamed Sherif Mohamed Mohamed Awadd (Awadd) arrived in Brazil in mid-2018 and received financial bank transfers from other al-Qa’ida associates in Brazil. As of late 2018, Awadd played a significant role in a Brazil-based al-Qa’ida-affiliated group and was involved in printing counterfeit currency. Awadd is the sole shareholder in and part of the management for Home Elegance Comercio de Moveis EIRELI, a Sao Paulo-based company that sells furniture.

Awadd is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Mohamed Ahmed Elsayed Ahmed Ibrahim, who was designated on September 10, 2019 for having acted for or on behalf of al-Qa’ida.

Treasury designated Home Elegance Comercio de Moveis EIRELI pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, directly or indirectly, Awadd.

Today’s action also targeted Brazil-based Ahmad Al-Khatib pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Mohamed Ahmed Elsayed Ahmed Ibrahim.

Ahmad Al-Khatib is the sole shareholder in and part of the management for Sao Paulo-based furniture business Enterprise Comercio de Moveis e Intermediacao de Negocios EIRELI which is also designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, directly or indirectly, Ahmad Al-Khatib.

Sanctions Implications

As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the individuals and entities named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or otherwise exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.

Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions with the individuals and entities designated today entails risk of secondary sanctions pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended. Pursuant to this authority, OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducted or facilitated any significant transaction on behalf of a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

For information concerning the process for seeking removal from any OFAC list, including the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, please refer to OFAC’s Frequently Asked Question 897. Additional information regarding sanctions programs administered by OFAC can be found here.

View identifying information on the individual designated today.

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READOUT: Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo’s Meeting with Nongovernmental Organizations Operating in Afghanistan
12/22/2021
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Office of Public Affairs
Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 22, 2021
Contact: Treasury Public Affairs; Press@Treasury.gov

READOUT: Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo’s Meeting with Nongovernmental Organizations Operating in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON -- Ahead of the release of Treasury’s General Licenses and guidance in support of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo hosted a roundtable with over 100 representatives from more than 50 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to reinforce the U.S. government’s commitment to supporting humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.

He heard directly from the NGOs operating on the ground in Afghanistan about their experiences delivering aid and the challenges they face. The Deputy Secretary explained Treasury’s commitment to supporting the Afghan people, its close partnership with NGOs, and answered questions about steps Treasury is taking to facilitate access to humanitarian assistance and aid and Treasury’s authorizations on topics such as education, donations of medical supplies, and the role of private sector financial institutions.

As the largest single provider of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, the U.S. is committed to ensuring that aid continues to flow to the Afghan people. While Treasury continues to uphold and enforce its economic sanctions on the Taliban, the department regularly engages with the NGO sector on its existing humanitarian authorizations and public guidance, as part of Treasury’s commitment to facilitating the flow of humanitarian assistance to areas affected by U.S. sanctions.

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e-News for Small Business Issue 2021-17

Issue Number: 2021-17 Inside This Issue IRS issues guidance regarding the retroactive termination of the Employee Retention Credit Businesses must report nonemployee compensation and backup withholding IRS joins leading nonprofit groups to highlight special charitable tax benefit available through December 31 Small businesses should make sure to use the right form when filing employment tax returns IRS issues information letters to Advance Child Tax Credit recipients and recipients of the third round of Economic Impact Payments; taxpayers should hold onto letters to help the 2022 Filing Season experience Revised questions and answers for 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit National Tax Security Awareness Week: Security Summit partners remind businesses to tighten security; be aware of steps to help prevent, protect data loss IRS issues standard mileage rates for 2022 Interest rates remain the same for the first quarter of 2022 Other tax news 1.  IRS issues guidance regarding the retroactive termination of the Employee Retention Credit The IRS news release about the retroactive termination of the Employee Retention Credit covers what wages this applies to and what business should do to avoid failure to pay and failure to deposit penalties. Back to top 2.  Businesses must report nonemployee compensation and backup withholding The IRS reminds businesses, payroll professionals and other payers to use Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation, to report nonemployee compensation of $600 or more paid to a payee. Generally, payers must file Form 1099-NEC by Monday, January 31, 2022, for tax year 2021. Payers must also furnish Form 1099-NEC to payees by this date. Businesses should also be aware of: The 30-day extension When nonemployee compensation may be subject to backup withholding What to do when a payer must backup withhold What to do if a payer doesn’t have an EIN Back to top 3.  IRS joins leading nonprofit groups to highlight special charitable tax benefit available through December 31 The Independent Sector and National Council of Nonprofits joined with the IRS to highlight a pandemic-related provision where married couples filing jointly can deduct up to $600 in cash donations and individual taxpayers can deduct up to $300 in donations. Under the temporary law, taxpayers don't need to itemize deductions on their tax returns to take advantage of this, which creates tax-favorable donation options not normally available to about 90 percent of tax filers. At a time when many charitable groups are struggling during the pandemic, the IRS highlights the new provision and urges people to make sure they donate to a qualifying charity. The special Tax Exempt Organization Search tool on IRS.gov can help people make sure they donate to a qualified charity. This article is also available in Spanish and Simplified Chinese. Back to top 4.  Small businesses should make sure to use the right form when filing employment tax returns The IRS advises small business owners to review the rules for which form to use when filing quarterly versus annually: Form 941, Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return Form 944, Employer's Annual Federal Tax Return The two forms are not interchangeable. Back to top 5.  IRS issues information letters to Advance Child Tax Credit recipients and recipients of the third round of Economic Impact Payments; taxpayers should hold onto letters to help the 2022 Filing Season experience The IRS announced it will issue information letters to Advance Child Tax Credit recipients starting in December and to recipients of the third round of the Economic Impact Payments at the end of January. Using this information when preparing a tax return can reduce errors and delays in processing. Families who received advance payments will need to file a 2021 tax return and compare the advance Child Tax Credit payments they received in 2021 with the amount of the Child Tax Credit they can properly claim on their 2021 tax return. The IRS will begin issuing Letter 6475, Your Third Economic Impact Payment, to EIP recipients in late January. This letter will help Economic Impact Payment recipients determine if they are entitled to and should claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their tax year 2021 tax returns that they file in 2022. Back to top 6.  Revised questions and answers for 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit The IRS updated its frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit. Individuals who didn't get the full first and second Economic Impact Payments may be eligible to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit. Back to top 7.  National Tax Security Awareness Week: Security Summit partners remind businesses to tighten security; be aware of steps to help prevent, protect data loss The IRS, state tax agencies and the nation’s tax industry urged businesses to be alert to cyberattacks aimed at gaining access to business data and customer information and be aware of steps to help them on tax-related issues related to identity theft. More than 70% of cyberattacks are aimed at businesses with 100 or fewer employees. Con artists can target credit card or payment information, the business identity information or employee identity information. The information covers: COVID-19 or tax-related phishing email scams Best practices from the Federal Trade Commission What the IRS is doing COVID-19 or tax-related phishing email scams Back to top 8.  IRS issues standard mileage rates for 2022 The IRS issued the 2022 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. Beginning on January 1, 2022, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: 58.5 cents per mile driven for business use, up 2.5 cents from the rate for 2021 18 cents per mile driven for medical, or moving purposes for qualified active-duty members of the Armed Forces, up 2 cents from the rate for 2021 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations; the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2021 Back to top 9.  Interest rates remain the same for the first quarter of 2022 The IRS announced that interest rates will remain the same for the calendar quarter beginning January 1, 2022. Back to top 10. Other tax news Disaster relief Hurricane Ida tax relief extended to February 15 for part or all of six qualifying states For Illinois and Tennessee tornado victims, IRS extends 2021 tax-filing deadline, other deadlines to May 16 For Kentucky tornado victims, IRS extends 2021 tax-filing deadline, other deadlines to May 16  Filing taxes, retirees and more Advance Child Tax Credit payment Those not receiving payments may claim any missed payments on the upcoming 2021 tax return IRS online portal now available in Spanish Get ready for taxes: What's new and what to consider when filing in 2022 Most retirees must take required minimum distributions by December 31 IRS is seeking qualified applicants for the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee Back to top Federal Reserve Board Notification Federal Reserve issues update to Payments Study https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/other20211222a.htm Released by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Visit us on the web at Federal Reserve Board. The following GAIN reports were released on December 21, 2021. _______ Brazil: Citrus Annual The Brazilian orange crop for Marketing Year (MY) 2021/22 is forecast at 405 million 40.8-kg boxes (MBx), equal to 16.52 million metric tons (MMT), an increase of 12 percent relative to the current season. The forecast assumes normal weather conditions will prevail as of mid-December 2021 to support fruit setting and development of the second blossoming in the Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais commercial citrus belt. The current orange crop estimate in the Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais citrus belt was revised downward from 294.2 to 264 MBx (12 MMT to 10.77 MMT) as a consequence of adverse weather conditions including a severe drought and successive frosts. Total Brazilian FCOJ 65 Brix equivalent exports for MY 2021/22 are forecast at 1 MMT, similar to revised figure for MY 2020/21. Bulgaria: Exporter Guide Bulgaria is a small but growing market for U.S. food and agricultural products. In 2020, total Bulgarian food and agricultural imports were valued at $5.2 billion, of which nearly 1.43 percent, or $73.8 million, were sourced from the United States. During the first eight months of 2021, total food and agricultural imports increased by 21.3 percent over the same period in 2020. Despite Covid-19 and the resulting economic slowdown, U.S. food and agricultural imports grew by five percent during the same period. U.S. products are increasingly popular in Bulgarian hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, and among food processors. Consumer-oriented products with strong market potential include distilled spirits, tree nuts, groundnuts, dried fruit, wine, beef, fish and seafood products, craft beer, bio and organic products, food preparations, and innovative food processing ingredients. El Salvador: Exporter Guide During 2020, El Salvador imported a little over $632 million of agricultural products, which is a drop of 8 percent compared to 2019. However, the Consumer-oriented foods/beverages category did not register a drop, but a modest increase of 1 percent, having dairy, soups and fresh fruits at the top of the list. A stronger-than-forecasted economic recovery in 2021 may signal growing opportunities for U.S. exporters. The government of El Salvador’s trade facilitation efforts combined with U.S. cooperation resulted in a recent approval of a regulation change to eliminate the requirement of only accepting a Certificate of Free Sale for the imports of low-risk processed foods/beverages (see details in p. 6). Hong Kong: Hong Kong Voluntary Salt and Sugar Labeling Scheme for Prepackaged Food Products Healthy eating is the growing trend in Hong Kong embraced by both the government and the general public. In this context, the Hong Kong government is encouraging the trade to use less salt and sugar for foods by introducing a voluntary “Salt/Sugar” label scheme for prepackaged food products. These nutrient labels are intended to help Hong Kong consumers identify foods and drinks which contain low/no salt or low/no sugar. Some multinational food producers are already using the labels to make their products stand out from a wide array of choices. Japan: Biofuels Annual FAS/Tokyo expects Japan’s imports of bioethanol to stay steady in line with Japan’s long-standing annual target for on-road biofuel of 500 million liters crude oil equivalent which is entirely fulfilled by bioETBE. There is no national program for biodiesel, and it is therefore in effect absent from the market except in a few localized cases. Japan has yet to realize a market for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), although sustained movement in this direction is now evident. As for the use of biomass in stationary power applications, Japan will see an increase in wood pellet imports as new large biomass power plants, supported by a feed-in tariff, become operational. Kenya: Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Country Report This report provides updates on Government of Kenya (GOK) import requirements and regulations for food and agricultural products. It includes applicable laws and guidelines, import procedures, and contact details of key trade regulatory and specialist agencies. Kenya maintains an import ban on genetically engineered (GE) agricultural and food products. In addition, exports to Kenya must be inspected by an agent contracted by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) in the country of origin or supply and be issued with a certificate of conformity (CoC) prior to shipment. Malaysia: Biofuels Annual The Covid 19 pandemic not only affected biodiesel consumption, but also delayed the implementation of B20 mandate in Malaysia. Biodiesel production in 2021 is expected to drop by 16 percent to 1.05 billion liters, as exports are negatively impacted by the price of CPO at an all time high throughout 2021. The Government of Malaysia (GoM) has revised its B20 implementation date, originally planned for the first quarter of 2020, to mid-2021 and now to mid-2022. This date may slip further, given political uncertainties, high CPO price, and the budget deficit faced by GoM. Exports of biodiesel in 2021 are projected at 315 million liters, a decrease of 23.5 percent compared to the previous year’s 412 million liters. With no domestic feedstock industry to support it, Malaysia has no fuel ethanol program, despite associated human health and climate benefits. Philippines: Grain and Feed Update Post increases the MY 21/22 estimate for milled rice production to 12.5 million MT on positive first-quarter production data while holding imports unchanged. Meanwhile, poor results in corn production lead Post to slash the production outlook to 7.5 million MT and expand imports to a would-be record 1.2 million MT in order to satisfy current demand. Finally, Post lowers wheat imports to 6.3 million MT as both demand for hog feed remains soft and higher-priced consumer wheat products begin to hit the shelves. For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/