OFAC sanctions program

CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act)

CAATSA is a 2017 statute that codified and expanded sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea. It imposed mandatory sanctions frameworks and significant secondary-sanctions authorities that OFAC and State administer.

Program at a glance

Program codeCAATSA
Legal authorityPublic Law 115-44 (2017); Codified sanctions on Russia, Iran, North Korea
ScopeStatutory / Multi-program
Designation volumeCross-references the Russia, Iran, and DPRK programs

Who and what it targets

Russian defense and intelligence entities, Iran's ballistic missile and Revolutionary Guard networks, and North Korea's shipping, energy, and labor export sectors.

Relevance to AI agents

CAATSA is a statutory overlay that expands secondary-sanctions exposure, particularly for non-US persons dealing with Russia, Iran, or DPRK. Agents operated by non-US entities should understand the secondary-sanctions reach CAATSA created.

Screening note. A counterparty program match is not always a blanket block — the program tag tells your agent how to route the hit (hard block for terrorism/embargo, review-required for sectoral, etc.). SanctionsAI returns the program code on every match.

Frequently asked questions

What is CAATSA?

The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 — a statute codifying and expanding sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

Does CAATSA apply to non-US companies?

Yes, significantly. CAATSA created broad secondary-sanctions authorities that can reach non-US persons for specified conduct with designated parties.

Compliance disclaimer. This page is educational and not legal advice. Program scope and current general licenses must be confirmed against the live OFAC programme page and, where relevant, by a qualified professional.

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