TSRA Program Background and License Application Process
The following information is intended to serve as guidance to persons applying for licenses authorizing exports of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices to Iran and Sudan pursuant to the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA).
About TSRA
Background:
The Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, Title IX of Public Law 106 387 (October 28, 2000) (the "TSRA"), provides that the President shall terminate any unilateral agricultural sanction or unilateral medical sanction in effect as of the date of enactment of the TSRA. The TSRA does not direct the termination of any unilateral agricultural sanction or unilateral medical sanction that prohibits, restricts, or conditions the provision or use of any agricultural commodity, medicine, or medical device that is controlled on the United States Munitions List, controlled on any control list established by the Export Administration Act of 1979 or any successor statute, or used to facilitate the development or production of chemical or biological weapons or weapons of mass destruction. Read more...
Definitions:
The TSRA defines agricultural commodities by reference to the meaning given to that term in section 102 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5602). This definition includes food commodities, feed, fish, shellfish and fish products, beer, wine and spirits, soft drinks, livestock, fiber, including cotton, wool, and other fibers, tobacco and tobacco products, wood and wood products (including lumber and utility poles), seeds, and reproductive materials such as fertilized eggs, embryos, and semen. It also includes certain fertilizers and organic fertilizers that are not otherwise controlled. Read more...
TSRA Reports:
For Biennial and Quarterly Reports of TSRA Licensing Activity please proceed to the TSRA Reports to Congress page.
TSRA Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: How should I present my TSRA license application? Click here for answer
Question 2: What is the procedure for submitting multiple copies of the same TSRA license application? Click here for answer
Question 3: If I am submitting multiple TSRA license applications at the same time, should I send them under a single cover letter? Click here for answer
Question 4: Should I send a sample of the proposed export product as an attachment to my TSRA license application? Click here for answer
Question 5: I hold a specific license to sell agricultural goods, medicine, or medical devices to Iran. The terms of the license allow me to accept a letter of credit issued by a bank in Iran which has not been named a Specially Designated National under any of the programs administered by OFAC. The license, however, also states that a U.S. financial institution may not advise, confirm or otherwise deal in that credit. How am I supposed to know if/when a letter of credit has been issued for my sale and how do I get paid? My bank accounts are all at U.S. financial institutions. Click here for answer
Question 6: The US exporter has a valid, one-year specific license issued pursuant to the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA) by the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), to enter into contracts during the one-year period of the license for the export/reexport of medical devices and to ship these medical devices within the 12-month period beginning on the date of signing of the contract (the �validity period�). Out of the box, the medical device has a defective component, or a component breaks within the validity period of the license. Can the US exporter send a replacement part pursuant to its valid OFAC license as a transaction that is ordinarily incident and necessary to the sale of the medical device as a whole? Click here for answer
Question 7: The US exporter exports a medical device pursuant to a valid OFAC TSRA license. After a few years, some components break. The US exporter wants to send replacement parts. What is the US exporter required to do? Click here for answer
Question 8: The US exporter has a valid OFAC TSRA license to export/reexport a medical device. The US exporter has exported a medical device pursuant to this license. The medical device breaks during the validity period of the license. Can the US exporter import the item back into the US pursuant to the original license? Click here for answer
TSRA Legal References
Statute:
Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA), PL 106-387
Code of Federal Regulations:
31 CFR Part 538 - Sudanese Sanctions Regulations
31 CFR Part 560 - Iranian Transactions Regulations
Federal Register Notices:
74 FR 61030-09 - Changes to the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 ("TSRA")
74 FR 46361-09 - General License Authorizing TSRA-Related Transactions With Respect to the Specified Areas of Sudan
72 FR 12980-07 - Clarification of licenses for the exportation of agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices
66 FR 36683-01 - Exports of agricultural products, medicines, and medical devices to Cuba, Sudan, Libya, and Iran
Executive Orders and Additional Legal Information:
Legal Information for the Iran Sanctions Program
Legal Information for the Sudan Sanctions Program