CROSS Customs Ruling NY E89509

Date issued: Nov. 16 1999

TURBOFAC Commentary (215 words)

Notes:

1) Compare with other customs rulings involving 560.206 of the ITSR. Here, CBP implies that, in principle, "Iranian-origin goods" subject to 560.206 include items that are over 700 years old, and even when they are located in a third country, but in this case the informational materials exemption overrode the prohibition.

2) Together, CROSS Customs Ruling NY I82142, CROSS Customs Ruling NY E89509, CROSS Customs Ruling NY G83530 and CROSS Customs Ruling NY F83946 appear to stand for the propositions that i) there is no limit to how old an item may be, it is subject to 560.206 if it originates in the territory of what is modern-day Iran (and possibly even the predecessor state whose boundaries were different from the current one), but ii) for items that have been outside of Iran since before the embargo was imposed—but only those items—OFAC may accommodate such situations without issuing licenses.

560.303 provides that "The term Iran means the territory of Iran and any other territory or marine area, including the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, over which the Government of Iran claims sovereignty." The relation back to the "territory" serves as the basis for considering even ancient Persia as within the scope of "Iran" for the purposes of the regulations.