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126. I tried to ship a package and it was either "blocked" by a shipping company or returned to me because of "OFAC sanctions." Why? How do I get my package back?
A package may be blocked or rejected for multiple reasons. U.S. persons, including shipping companies, are required to "block" packages in which a person blocked by OFAC-administered sanctions has an interest. When a package is required to be "blocked" due to sanctions, the shipper must retain the package rather than return it to the sender. In other circumstances, sanctions may not require that the package be blocked, but a shipping company may have to return your package, or "reject" it. For example, if the package was destined for a location under a U.S. trade embargo and was not otherwise eligible to be shipped in accordance with an existing exemption or OFAC authorization, the shipping company may reject and return your package.
If your package was blocked due to OFAC sanctions, you may request authorization from OFAC for the blocked package to be released by submitting a License Application that includes a detailed description of the package’s contents and an explanation of the package’s air waybill or Customs Declaration and Dispatch form.
Please see the Sanctions Programs and Country Information page on OFAC’s website for more information on the restrictions on shipments to sanctioned jurisdictions.
Date Updated: August 21, 2024.
Updated on Aug 21, 2024
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126. I tried to ship a package and it was returned to me because of “OFAC sanctions.” Why?
There may have been one or more reasons the package was rejected. For example, was it destined for Cuba and lacking a description of the contents? Was it an unlicensed commercial shipment destined for North Korea? Was it a personal gift destined for an individual in Iran with a stated value exceeding $100? These examples are legitimate reasons for shipping companies to refuse to process such packages, such as packages that do not conform with shipping company guidelines and rules, as well as OFAC and other U.S. government regulations. Not only could you be liable for attempting to send such packages, but the shipping companies also could be liable for their role in processing these. See OFAC’s country program webpages for more information on the restrictions on shipments to high-risk jurisdictions, for example the Crimea region of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, or Syria. [08-11-2020]
1) FAQ amended on 8-21-24 concurrent with Modernizing Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (Press Release), detailing several modernization efforts, including the updating of a number of general interest FAQs containing dated language. This FAQ does not appear to provide guidance in a way that adds to or deviates from OFAC’s other modern guidance. The comments below were drafted (not amended) prior to the 8-21-24 amendment.
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Notes:
1) FAQ amended on Aug. 11, 2020 "to reflect that Sudan has not been a comprehensively sanctioned country since October 12, 2017" (by adding the reference to § 596.506) (see https://web.archive.org/web/20221207223105/https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/recent-actions/20200811). The original FAQ read as follows:
There may have been one or more reasons the package was rejected. For example, was it destined for Iran, Sudan or Cuba and lacking a description of the contents? Was it an unlicensed commercial shipment destined for Iran, Sudan or Cuba? Was it a personal gift destined for an individual in Iran or Sudan, with a stated value exceeding $100?
These are legitimate reasons for shipping companies to refuse to process such packages. Not only could you be liable for attempting to send such packages, but the shipping companies also could be liable for their role in processing them. See OFAC’s country brochures and program webpages for more information on the restrictions on shipping goods to Iran, Sudan and Cuba:
• Overview of Iran sanctions
• Overview of Sudan sanctions
• Overview of Cuba sanctions