Special Economic Measures Permit Authorization Order: SOR/2025-50

Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 159, Number 6

Registration
SOR/2025-50 February 26, 2025

SPECIAL ECONOMIC MEASURES ACT

P.C. 2025-192 February 26, 2025

Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, makes the annexed Special Economic Measures Permit Authorization Order under subsection 4(4)footnote a of the Special Economic Measures Act footnote b.

Special Economic Measures Permit Authorization Order

Authorizations

Authorization

1 The Minister of Foreign Affairs may

Authorization — Syria

2 The Minister of Foreign Affairs may

Coming into Force

Registration

3 This Order comes into force on the day on which it is registered.

SCHEDULE

(Section 1)

Regulations

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Order.)

Issues

Canadian sanctions regimes include the authority for the Governor in Council to authorize the Minister of Foreign Affairs (the Minister) to issue permits or certificates in exceptional cases to allow specified activities or transactions that would otherwise be prohibited. Each of the nineteen (19) Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA) regulations in force have a corresponding Permit Authorization Order under which the Minister has authority to issue individual permits to specific persons only.

In 2022, the SEMA was amended to include the authority for the Governor in Council to authorize, by order, the Minister of Foreign Affairs to issue general permits allowing any person in Canada or Canadian outside Canada to carry out a specified activity or transaction, or class of activity or transaction, that is otherwise restricted or prohibited under the SEMA or any sanctions regulations made under this act.

Expanding the permit issuing authority of the Minister to include the general permit measure provides the flexibility to temporarily lift specific restrictions or prohibitions should the Minister assess that the situation requires Canada to ease sanctions. It also ensures consistency with the SEMA and allows Canada to align with its international allies, including the United States, that have implemented similar measures for some time now to ease restrictions where and when required.

Objective

Description

The Special Economic Measures Permit Authorization Order (the Order) provides the Minister with the authority to issue both individual permits and general permits that would allow persons in Canada or any Canadian outside Canada to carry out a specified activity or transaction, or any class of activity or transaction, that is restricted or prohibited under the following regulations:

The Order also provides the Minister with the authority to issue individual and general permits for prohibited activities and transactions under the Special Economic Measures (Syria) Regulations, with the exception of permits for activities related to chemical weapons, equipment, goods or technology.

While a general permit could be issued without a specific request or application, it is subject to any terms and conditions that are, in the opinion of the Minister, consistent with the SEMA and any order or regulations made under the act.

A possible consequence of issuing general permits is that Canada would have limited visibility on the transactions and activities facilitated by the general permit and would have limited information on the groups and individuals using or benefiting from the general permit. To mitigate that risk, as part of the guidance provided with such a permit, Canada could request that any individual and entity taking advantage of the general permit report on the transactions and activities that they are undertaking.

To mitigate the risk linked to any unexpected change in circumstances, as is the case with any individual permit, a general permit is granted for a prescribed period and may be amended, suspended, revoked, or reinstated at the discretion of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Enforcement action can also be undertaken if there are reasonable grounds to believe that individuals and entities are not respecting the parameters of the general permit and contravening sanctions.

The Special Economic Measures Permit Authorization Order is accompanied by the Order Repealing Certain Orders Made Under the Special Economic Measures Act which repeals the following:

One-for-one rule and small business lens

Analysis under the small business lens concluded that the amendments will not impact Canadian small businesses.

The one-for-one rule does not apply, as there is no incremental change in administrative burden on businesses and no regulatory titles are repealed or introduced.

Contact

Global Affairs Canada
Sanctions Bureau
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G2
Telephone (toll-free): 1‑833‑352‑0769
Telephone (local): 343‑203‑3975
Fax: 613‑995‑9085
Email: sanctions@international.gc.ca