OFAC adds Cuba Sanctions Regulations to 31 CFR Part 516

The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a final rule adding Part 516 to Title 31 of the Code of Federal Regulations, effective September 30, 2026. The rule implements Executive Order 14404, issued on May 1, 2026, which imposes sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for repression in Cuba and for threats to United States national security and foreign policy.

The regulations were published in the Federal Register as Volume 91, Number 188, pages 61748-61758 (FR Doc No: 2026-19977). They establish prohibitions on transactions with the Government of Cuba, define blocked accounts and property, and set out licensing procedures, penalties, and record-keeping requirements referenced to Part 501 of the chapter. Sections 516.201 through 516.205 enumerate prohibited transactions, while Subpart C (sections 516.300-516.317) provides definitions for terms such as "blocked property," "U.S. person," and "foreign financial institution."

The rule is issued without a notice of proposed rulemaking, invoking the exemption for foreign-affairs functions under Executive Order 12866 and the Administrative Procedure Act. Accordingly, the Regulatory Flexibility Act does not apply. Section 516.105 incorporates the penalties framework of Part 505, and Section 516.105(a) references criminal liability for willful violations under 50 U.S.C. 1705, with a mens rea requirement as mandated by Executive Order 14294 of May 9, 2025.

Information collections related to the regulations are approved under the Paperwork Reduction Act with OMB control number 1505-0164. The rule is published in abbreviated form to provide immediate guidance; OFAC has indicated that a more comprehensive set of regulations, including additional interpretive guidance, general licenses, and definitions, will be issued later. For further information, contact the OFAC Assistant Director for Regulatory Affairs at 202-622-4855 or via https://ofac.treasury.gov/contact-ofac.