Bloomberg Law
5 minute read | October.01.2019
The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control recently announced changes to its Cuba sanctions intended to further financially isolate the Cuban government. Most importantly, OFAC will effectively rescind the "U-Turn," an exception to the Cuban embargo that allowed U.S. banks to process payments involving Cuba as long as they start and end offshore.
OFAC will also further restrict remittances to Cuba. The changes, which take effect Oct. 9, will have the greatest impact on U.S. banks offering foreign correspondent banking services and foreign banks utilizing those services, increasing compliance risks for both.