In an era marked by global unrest, regulatory complexities, and a shifting market landscape, companies must remain diligent in their trade compliance procedures and stay apprised of changes in the law.
TC Trade Alerts will serve as a central resource for identifying the policy changes, executive orders, and necessary information and context regarding government actions affecting international trade.
See below for more information on the last TC Trade Alerts. If you have any questions about how this affects your business, please don't hesitate to contact one of our attorneys.
| HEADLINE | Revocation of Sanctions on Syria |
| DATE | July 2, 2025 |
| AGENCY | Presidential Action; U.S. Department of State; U.S. Department of Treasury; Office of Foreign Assets Control |
| EFFECTIVE DATES | July 1, 2025 |
| BACKGROUND | In December 2024, Bashar al-Assad's regime was ousted from
Syria. On May 13, 2025, President Trump announced that he was
"ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria to give
them a fresh start." The following week, the Department of
Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued Syria General License (GL) 25 to provide immediate
sanctions relief for Syria from some (but not all) of the
prohibitions. The President's June 30, 2025 Executive Order now revokes most of the remaining sanctions on Syrian nationals and entities—including against the al-Nusra front—and authorizes the removal of most U.S. export controls on the country. |
| DETAILS | On June 30, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order
that:
Syria remains subject to U.S. export controls enforced by both the BIS and DDTC prohibiting all exports or reexports of items regulated under the EAR. The Order "supports the relaxation of export controls and other restrictions" to be taken by various agencies, like General License 25. At the same time, the Executive Order expanded the scope of the national emergency declared in 2019 by Executive Order 13894, imposing new sanctions on any person or entity connected to the Assad regime's war crimes, human rights abuses, or the proliferation of narcotics trafficking networks. While the actions by relevant agencies and the recent Executive Order transition away from a sealed-off Syria, transactions and shipments to Syria continue to be regulated and may require authorization or specific licenses depending on the goods and services involved. |
| BASIS | The Executive Order is pursuant to the President's powers
under:
|
| CITE | The Executive Order of June 30, 2025, revokes and
terminates:
The Executive Order of June 30, 2025, expanded the scope of:
White House – Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions – The White House Fed. Reg. – Federal Register: Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions OFAC Press Release – Revocation of Syria Sanctions; Publication of Syria Frequently Asked Questions; Syria and Syria-related Designation Updates and Removals | Office of Foreign Assets Control. Department of State Fact Sheet – Termination of Syria Sanctions – United States Department of State Department of State Press Statement – Ending the Syria Sanctions Program for the Benefit of the Syrian People – United States Department of State |
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
