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July 8th

US ends Syria sanctions program

Date of Publication: July 8, 2025
On June 30, 2025 President Trump issued a new Executive Order (EO) 14312,
Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions
, officially terminating the U.S. Syria sanctions program, effective July 1, 2025. The EO lifts in large part the majority of trade and investment restrictions on Syria, effectively lifting the most stringent aspects of the comprehensive export controls and other trade restrictions imposed in the past.
The action marks a historic shift in U.S. foreign policy toward Syria, aligned with the country’s political transition under its new government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The lifting of sanctions follows the issuance of
Syria General License (GL) 25
 on May 23, 2025, which authorizes new investment in Syria and providing services to people and companies in Syria, among others, as well as waiving certain sanctions under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019. These initial measures authorized U.S. persons to engage in many activities otherwise prohibited under the Syria sanctions program, however, significant restrictions on trade with Syria remained in effect, including blocking sanctions on numerous parties and comprehensive export control restrictions.

Key developments under executive order 14312

  • This latest EO revokes six of the key EOs underlying the Syria Sanctions Regulations and terminates and the national emergency underlying these Eos.
  • 518 individuals and entities
    designated solely under the Syria Sanctions program have been
    removed from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List
    .
  • Certain export restrictions mandated by the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, which previously resulted in a license requirement for "any item" subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to Syria (apart from EAR99 food and medicine) are waived.
  • Waives the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991's (CBW Act) mandated restrictions on the export of any item subject to the EAR that is controlled for national security (NS) reasons.
  • Directs the Secretary of State to "take all appropriate action" with respect to Syria's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST), which, among other things, results in a license requirement on any item subject to the EAR that is controlled for anti-terrorism (AT) reasons.
  • Waives restrictions on Syria related to foreign assistance, U.S. government credit or other financial assistance, and loans and credit from U.S. financial institutions imposed by the CBW Act
  • Under the PAARSS program
    , 139 individuals and entities have been re-designated
    . They are divided into eight categories:
  1. Former Officials of the Assad Regime
  2. Persons Acting for or On Behalf of Former Assad Regime Officials
  3. Persons Threatening the Peace, Security or Stability of Syria
  4. Persons Engaged in Activities or Transactions Related to Captagon
  5. Persons Providing Material Support to the Former Assad Regime
  6. Persons Providing Material Support to an SDN
  7. Persons Owned or Controlled or Acting on Behalf of an SDN
  8. Adult Family Members of Certain SDNs
The amended
Executive Order 13894
 forms the legal basis for these ongoing designations.
  • The Syrian Sanctions Regulations
    (31 CFR part 542)
     will be
    removed from
    the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
    .
  • Syria continues to be subject to strict U.S. export control restrictions, which are enforced by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and the Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC).
While these changes certainly indicate a shift in the policies toward Syria, the Administration's messaging around these measures indicates the potential for a reversal if the new Syrian government fails to make progress on its key priorities concerning counterterrorism and regional stability.

Conclusion

The termination of the Syria Sanctions Program and the establishment of the PAARSS framework represent a significant transition in U.S. sanctions policy toward Syria.
While broad-based restrictions have been lifted to support the country’s reconstruction under new leadership, targeted sanctions remain in place to uphold accountability for past human rights abuses and regional destabilization.
It is also not clear whether certain export controls-related restrictions that apply to military end users (MEUs) or military intelligence end users (MIEUs) applicable to Syria may be adjusted based on these determinations. Additionally, Syria's status as an SST as well as HTS and al-Sharaa's FTO and/or SDGT designations are still subject to "review" by the Secretary of State, suggesting some of these actions may not be final and will need to be monitored.
Businesses should reevaluate their due diligence protocols to reflect the updated regulatory structure and ensure adherence to the evolving U.S. sanctions landscape.
These changes have been updated in ONESOURCE Global Trade Content.
For more information on how ONESOURCE Global Trade solutions can assist you in managing restricted party screening, please contact your Account Manager or Customer Success Manager.

This article applies to:

  • Product: ONESOURCE Global Trade