The United States on Friday brought to an end a raft sanctions imposed against Sudan in 1997 over Khartoum’s alleged support to Islamist militant groups.
What does the lifting of the trade embargo actually mean?
- With the removing of the sanctions, all international banking transactions will be permitted with Sudan, and American individuals and companies can now process transactions involving counterparts in Sudan
- US individuals can engage in imports and exports that were previously prohibited under the sanctions
- US persons can engage in transactions involving property in which the government of Sudan has an interest
- As a result of the lifting of the embargo, all property and interests in property blocked pursuant to the sanctions regulations will be unblocked.
- All trade between the United States and Sudan that was previously prohibited will be authorized.
- All transactions by US persons relating to the petroleum or petrochemical industries in Sudan that were previously prohibited will be authorized, including oilfield services and oil and gas pipelines.
- US individuals will no longer be prohibited from facilitating transactions between Sudan and third countries, to the extent previously prohibited by the embargo.
- The lifting of the embargo does not mean that Sudan will be taken out of US Department of State’s list of state sponsors of terrorism.
- A separate set of sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council related to the conflict in Darfur also continues. That embargo primarily prevents the supply of arms and related materials to actors operating in Darfur.