DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Office of Foreign Assets Control


 Termination of Restrictions on Importation of, and Certification Requirements for, Nickel and Nickel-Bearing Materials Originating in the Soviet Union or Its Successor States

AGENCY: Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury.

ACTION: Notice.




SUMMARY: The Office of Foreign Assets Control is lifting its 1983 ban on the importation into the United States of unfabricated nickel and nickel-bearing materials from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (the ``USSR'') and its successor states. In light of this action, the Office of Foreign Assets Control is also eliminating the administrative procedure established in 1990, whereby certain nickel and nickel-bearing materials originating in the Russian Republic of the USSR could be imported only if accompanied by special certificates of origin issued by VVO Raznoimport.
EFFECTIVE DATE: February 8, 1994.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gloria G. Brown, Sanctions Program Officer (tel.: 202/622 - 2500), or William B. Hoffman, Chief Counsel (tel.: 202/622 - 2410), Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Availability

    This document is available as an electronic file on The Federal Bulletin Board the day of publication in the Federal Register. By modem dial 202/512 - 1387 or call 202/512 - 1530 for disks or paper copies. This file is available in Postscript, WordPerfect 5.1 and ASCII.

Background

    On November 23, 1983, the Office of Foreign Assets Control announced a ban on the importation into the United States of nickel and nickel-bearing materials (``nickel'') from the USSR. 48 FR 53006. The ban was imposed because it was believed that nickel of Cuban origin was contained in nickel exported from the Russian Republic of the USSR to the United States. The importation of Cuban nickel is prohibited under the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, 31 CFR part 515 (the ``Regulations'').
    On June 28, 1990, pursuant to an exchange of letters between the Government of the USSR and the Government of the United States, a procedure was established to permit the importation into the United States of certain nickel from two complexes in Russia. Nickel produced in the Russian Republic of the USSR by the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Plant and the Nickel Industrial Amalgamation at Monchegorsk could be imported, provided that each shipment was accompanied by a certificate of origin issued by VVO Raznoimport as specified in the exchange of letters. Notice concerning the requirement for certificates of origin was published on July 20, 1990. 55 FR 29704; see also Regulations, 515.536(c).
    Following consultation between the Department of the Treasury and the Department of State, it was determined that these import restrictions could both be eliminated in light of changed circumstances in the Russian Republic after the breakup of the USSR. In particular, because Russia has reduced its importation of Cuban-origin nickel significantly and patterns of trade indicate that such imports are not reexported, permitting the importation of nickel from the successor states to the USSR will have no weakening effect on the U.S. embargo of Cuba. The United States continues its firm commitment to rigorous enforcement of the Regulations.

    Dated: January 13, 1994
R. Richard Newcomb,
Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.
    Approved: January 19, 1994.
John P. Simpson,
Deputy Assistant Secretary (Regulatory, Tariff & Trade Enforcement).
[FR Doc. 94 - 3225 Filed 2 - 8 - 94; 11:47 am]
BILLING CODE 4810 - 25 - F