Changeflow GovPing Trade & Sanctions OFAC Issues Venezuela General License 52 and FAQs
Priority review Guidance Added Final

OFAC Issues Venezuela General License 52 and FAQs

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Published March 18th, 2026
Detected March 18th, 2026
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Summary

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued Venezuela-related General License 52, authorizing certain transactions involving Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. OFAC also released two new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to Venezuela sanctions.

What changed

OFAC has issued General License 52 (GL 52), which authorizes specific transactions involving Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA). This action provides a framework for certain dealings with the Venezuelan state-owned oil company, likely impacting entities involved in the energy sector or trade with Venezuela. Additionally, OFAC released FAQs 1245 and 1246 to provide further clarification on the scope and application of Venezuela-related sanctions.

Regulated entities, particularly those with operations or dealings related to Venezuela's energy sector, must review GL 52 and the accompanying FAQs to ensure compliance. This includes understanding the specific authorizations and any limitations or conditions imposed by the license. Failure to adhere to the terms of the general license and OFAC's sanctions programs could result in enforcement actions and penalties.

What to do next

  1. Review Venezuela General License 52 for authorized transactions involving Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A.
  2. Review OFAC FAQs 1245 and 1246 for clarification on Venezuela sanctions
  3. Ensure all dealings with Venezuelan entities comply with the terms of GL 52 and applicable sanctions programs

Source document (simplified)

Issuance of Venezuela-related General License and Frequently Asked Questions

03/18/2026 The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is issuing Venezuela-related General License 52, "Authorizing Certain Transactions Involving Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A."

Additionally, OFAC is issuing two new Venezuela-related Frequently Asked Questions, FAQ 1245 and FAQ 1246.

Source

Analysis generated by AI. Source diff and links are from the original.

Classification

Agency
OFAC
Published
March 18th, 2026
Instrument
Guidance
Legal weight
Binding
Stage
Final
Change scope
Substantive

Who this affects

Applies to
Energy companies Importers and exporters
Geographic scope
National (US)

Taxonomy

Primary area
Sanctions
Operational domain
Compliance
Topics
Venezuela Oil and Gas

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