The US Treasury Department´s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has extended Nynas general license, now called GL13E, for 30 days. The extension should not be seen as wind down license, it was necessary to have time to finalise the changes in shareholder structure accepted by OFAC as a prerequisite to lift the sanctions on Nynas.

Nynas is because of its partial ownership by PDVSA to some extent affected by sanctions issued by the United States against Venezuela and PDVSA. Nynas shareholders have agreed on changes in the ownership structure which will result in significant changes in control of Nynas. OFAC has responded that the proposed changes are satisfactory and has also stated that when the proposal is executed, OFAC is ready to swiftly initiate a process for the removal of sanctions applicable to Nynas. As the review of these complex proposals is ongoing, OFAC is extending the expiration date of the related general license.

“I would like to give all customers and suppliers comfort with this update of where we are in the process with OFAC, but since certain details have taken longer than expected to process with OFAC due to the complexity, OFAC has offered to extend the general license”, says Bo Askvik, Nynas President and CEO acting.