OFAC Updates Cuban Assets Control Regulations

Department of Treasury OFAC Agency Rule-Making & Guidance

On March 15, OFAC issued a final rule updating the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR), 31 C.F.R. Part 515. The amendments advance policy changes announced by the Obama administration in 2014 by further facilitating travel to Cuba for authorized purposes, expanding the range of authorized financial transactions, and authorizing business and physical presence in Cuba. Regarding financial transactions, the final rule (i) amends section 515.584(d) to authorize certain U-turn payments through the U.S. financial system; (ii) adds new section 515.584(g) to allow U.S. banking institutions to process U.S. dollar monetary instruments presented indirectly by Cuban financial institutions; and (iii) adds new section 515.584(h) to “authorize banking institutions to open and maintain accounts solely in the name of a Cuban national located in Cuba for the purposes only of receiving payments in the United States in connection with transactions authorized pursuant to or exempt from the prohibitions of this part and remitting such payments to Cuba.”

OFAC’s amendments to the CACR were published in the Federal Register on March 16, 2016 and are effective immediately. OFAC simultaneously released a revised set of FAQs and a fact sheet regarding the changes set forth in the CACR.