U.S. State, Commerce, And Treasury Departments Jointly Issue Tri-Seal Advisory On Sanctions And Export Controls Relief For Syria

On November 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of State (State), the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), issued a Tri-Seal Advisory titled, "Sanctions and Export Controls Relief for Syria." This Tri-Seal Advisory follows the decision to terminate U.S. sanctions against Syria on June 30, 2025 and to relax export controls for Syria on August 28, 2025. Also on November 10, State suspended for 180 days sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 (Caesar Act), replacing the May 23, 2025 waiver of Caesar Act sanctions. The Caesar Act sanctions remain for transactions involving the governments of Russia and Iran, or the transfer of Russian-origin or Iranian-origin goods, technology, software, funds, financing, or services.

The Tri-Seal Advisory provides guidance on what activities involving Syria are permitted and what restrictions remain. In short, transactions with Syria that do not involve sanctioned persons or export-controlled items largely are permitted. Export of most basic civilian use items (such as EAR99 items, consumer communications devices) to Syria also is permitted under License Exceptions. However, export to Syria of most other items controlled under the Commerce Control List still require a license. Transactions involving sanctioned persons — such as former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and his associates, human rights abusers, captagon drug traffickers, and other destabilizing regional actors — remain restricted.

The Tri-Seal Advisory reiterates the Trump administration's commitment to provide Syria an opportunity to rebuild its domestic economy, reintegrate into the broader region, and engage with the global economy. The administration also has expressed its intent to work with the new Syrian government toward broader peace and stability in Syria, and the Middle East more broadly. The Tri-Seal Advisory demonstrates the U.S. government's effort to balance its interest in rebuilding Syria's economy with the need to counter remaining threats of terrorism in the region. The current measures rely on Syria's cooperation and the cooperation of all those transacting with Syria, and the U.S. government continues to reserve its authority to update and implement national security measures as needed.