Special Economic Measures (Syria) Regulations (SOR/2011-114)

Interpretation

1 The following definitions apply in these Regulations.

designated person

designated person[Repealed, SOR/2026-23, s. 1]

luxury goods

luxury goods[Repealed, SOR/2026-23, s. 1]

Minister

Minister means the Minister of Foreign Affairs. (ministre)

Syria

Syria means the Syrian Arab Republic and includes

• (a) any political subdivision of Syria;

• (b) the government, and any department, of Syria or of a political subdivision of Syria; and

• (c) any agency of Syria or of a political subdivision of Syria. (Syrie)

List

2 A person whose name is listed in Schedule 1 is a person in respect of whom the Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister, is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe is

• (a) a senior official in the Government of Syria as it was constituted from March 2011 to December 2024 and led by Bashar al-Assad;

• (b) an associate or family member of a person set out in paragraph (a);

• (c) an entity owned — or held or controlled, directly or indirectly — by a person referred to in paragraph (a), (b), (d) or (e);

• (d) a person who has engaged in activities that directly or indirectly undermine the peace, security or stability of Syria; or

• (e) a person who has engaged in activities that directly or indirectly contribute to or support gross and systematic human rights violations in Syria.

Prohibitions

3 Subject to section 3.2, it is prohibited for any person in Canada and any Canadian outside Canada to

• (a) deal in any property, wherever situated, that is owned — or that is held or controlled, directly or indirectly — by a listed person;

• (b) enter into or facilitate any transaction related to a dealing referred to in paragraph (a);

• (c) provide any financial or related service in respect of a dealing referred to in paragraph (a);

• (d) make available any goods, wherever situated, to a listed person or a person acting on behalf of a listed person;

• (d.1) transfer or provide any property other than goods to a listed person or to a person outside Canada who is not Canadian for the benefit of a listed person; or

• (e) provide any financial or related services to or for the benefit of a listed person.

3.1 Subject to section 3.2, it is prohibited for any person in Canada and any Canadian outside Canada to

• (a) [Repealed, SOR/2026-23, s. 4]

• (b) [Repealed, SOR/2026-23, s. 4]

• (c) [Repealed, SOR/2026-23, s. 4]

• (d) [Repealed, SOR/2026-23, s. 4]

• (e) [Repealed, SOR/2026-23, s. 4]

• (f) [Repealed, SOR/2026-23, s. 4]

• (g) [Repealed, SOR/2026-23, s. 4]

• (h) export, sell, supply or ship to Syria or any person in Syria any of the goods set out in Schedule 2; or

• (i) transfer, provide or communicate to Syria or any person in Syria technical data related to any of the goods set out in Schedule 2.

3.2 The prohibitions set out in sections 3 and 3.1 do not apply in respect of

• (a) any activity engaged in under an agreement or arrangement between Canada and Syria;

• (b) any payment made by or on behalf of a listed person that is due under a contract that the listed person entered into before they became a listed person, provided that the payment is not made to a listed person or to a person acting on behalf of a listed person;

• (c) any goods made available, or services provided, to or by any of the following entities for the purpose of safeguarding human life, disaster relief, democratization, stabilization or providing food, medicine or medical supplies or equipment:

  • (i) an international organization with diplomatic status,

  • (ii) a United Nations agency,

  • (iii) the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, or

  • (iv) a non-governmental organization that has entered into a grant or contribution agreement with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade or the Canadian International Development Agency;

• (d) [Repealed, SOR/2026-23, s. 5]

• (e) any goods from the Embassy of Canada in Syria destined for Canada or any goods from Syria destined for the Embassy of Syria in Canada;

• (f) personal or settlers’ effects that are taken or shipped by an individual leaving Syria and that are solely for the use of the individual or the individual’s immediate family;

• (g) personal correspondence, including lettermail, printed papers and postcards, of a weight not exceeding 250 g per item of correspondence;

• (h) pension payments to any person in Canada, any Canadian abroad or any person in Syria;

• (i) any transaction in respect of the accounts at a Canadian financial institution that are used for the regular business of the Embassy of Syria or its consular missions in Canada;

• (j) any transaction in respect of the accounts at a Syrian financial institution that are used for the regular business of the Embassy of Canada or its consular missions in Syria; and

• (k) any transaction necessary for a Canadian to transfer to a person other than a listed person any accounts, funds or investments of a Canadian held by a listed person on the day on which that person became a listed person.

3.3 [Repealed, SOR/2026-23, s. 6]

• 3.4 (1) It is prohibited for any person in Canada and any Canadian outside Canada to

  • (a) import, purchase, acquire, carry or ship any chemical weapons and any equipment, goods or technology related to chemical weapons from Syria, wherever situated, whether owned — or held or controlled, directly or indirectly — by Syria or any person in Syria; or

  • (b) transfer, acquire or purchase from Syria or any person in Syria technical assistance that is related to any of the chemical weapons and equipment, goods or technology set out in paragraph (a).

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to His Majesty in right of Canada or a province if the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has identified a need for a member of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to acquire, control, transport, transfer and destroy chemical weapons for the purpose of facilitating the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons program.

• (3) [Repealed, SOR/2026-23, s. 7]

4 It is prohibited for any person in Canada or any Canadian outside Canada to knowingly do anything that causes, facilitates or assists in, or is intended to cause, facilitate or assist in, any activity prohibited by sections 3, 3.1 and 3.4.

Duty to Determine

5 The following entities must determine on a continuing basis whether they are in possession or control of property owned — or held or controlled, directly or indirectly — by a listed person:

• (a) authorized foreign banks, as defined in section 2 of the Bank Act, in respect of their business in Canada or banks to which that Act applies;

• (b) cooperative credit societies, savings and credit unions and caisses populaires regulated by a provincial Act and associations regulated by the Cooperative Credit Associations Act;

• (c) foreign companies, as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Insurance Companies Act, in respect of their insurance business in Canada;

• (d) companies, provincial companies and societies, as those terms are defined in subsection 2(1) of the Insurance Companies Act;

• (e) fraternal benefit societies regulated by a provincial Act in respect of their insurance activities and insurance companies and other entities engaged in the business of insuring risks that are regulated by a provincial Act;

• (f) companies to which the Trust and Loan Companies Act applies;

• (g) trust companies regulated by a provincial Act;

• (h) loan companies regulated by a provincial Act;

• (i) entities that engage in any activity described in paragraph 5(h) of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act if the activity involves the opening of an account for a client; and

• (j) entities authorized under provincial legislation to engage in the business of dealing in securities or to provide portfolio management or investment counselling services.

Disclosure

• 6 (1) Every person in Canada, every Canadian outside Canada and every entity set out in section 5 must disclose without delay to the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or to the Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service

  • (a) the existence of property in their possession or control that they have reason to believe is owned — or held or controlled, directly or indirectly — by a listed person; and

  • (b) any information about a transaction or proposed transaction in respect of property referred to in paragraph (a).

• (2) No proceedings under the Special Economic Measures Act and no civil proceedings lie against a person for a disclosure made in good faith under subsection (1).

Applications

• 7 (1) A listed person may apply to the Minister in writing to have their name removed from Schedule 1.

• (2) On receipt of the application, the Minister must decide whether there are reasonable grounds to recommend to the Governor in Council that the applicant’s name be removed from Schedule 1.

• (3) The Minister must make a decision on the application within 90 days after the day on which the application is received.

• (4) The Minister must give notice without delay to the applicant of the decision taken.

• (5) If there has been a material change in circumstances since the last application was submitted, a person may submit another application under subsection (1).

Application for a Certificate

• 8 (1) A person claiming not to be a listed person may apply to the Minister for a certificate stating that they are not the person who has been listed under section 2.

• (2) If it is established that the person is not a listed person, the Minister must issue a certificate to the applicant within 30 days after the day on which the application is received.

9 [Repealed, SOR/2011-330, s. 3]

Application Prior to Publication

10 For the purpose of paragraph 11(2)(a) of the Statutory Instruments Act, these Regulations apply before they are published in the Canada Gazette.

Coming into Force

11 These Regulations come into force on the day on which they are registered.