The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on 9 February sanctioned nine entities across multiple jurisdictions that have played a critical role in the production, sale, and shipment of Iranian petrochemicals and petroleum to buyers in Asia.
It has targeted six Iran-based companies, and three firms in Malaysia and Singapore for facilitating the sale and shipment of petroleum and petrochemicals on behalf of Triliance Petrochemical Co. Ltd., which OFAC designated on January 23, 2020 for facilitating the sale of Iranian petroleum products from the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).
IRANIAN PETROCHEMICAL PRODUCERS
OFAC is designating Iranian petrochemical producer Amir Kabir Petrochemical Company (AKPC), a major polyethylene producer. Triliance has purchased millions of dollars’ worth of low density polyethylene (LDPE) produced by AKPC for shipment to buyers in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). OFAC is also adding Simorgh Petrochemical Company, a fully owned subsidiary of AKPC, to the List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List).
OFAC is also taking action against four subsidiaries of Iran’s Marun Petrochemical Company, which OFAC designated on June 16, 2022 for its role in supplying millions of dollars’ worth of petrochemicals to Triliance. Iran-based Laleh Petrochemical Company, Marun Tadbir Tina Company, Marun Sepehr Ofogh Company, and Marun Supplemental Industries Company, each of which operate in different capacities within the petrochemical and industrial sectors, are majority- or fully owned by Marun Petrochemical Company.
OFAC is adding Laleh Petrochemical Company, Marun Tadbir Tina Company, Marun Sepehr Ofogh Company, and Marun Supplemental Industries Company to the SDN List for being owned in the aggregate, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by Marun Petrochemical Company.
TRILIANCE NETWORK ENABLERS
Since late 2021, Singapore-based Asia Fuel PTE. Ltd. (Asia Fuel) has facilitated the shipment of petroleum products worth millions of dollars to customers in East Asia. Asia Fuel also arranged to pay storage fees on behalf of Triliance to house petroleum products in a Malaysia-based floating storage vessel.
Sense Shipping and Trading SDN. BHD. (Sense Shipping) is a Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based front company for Triliance that has facilitated Triliance’s shipment of tens of thousands of metric tons of petrochemicals to foreign customers. Sense Shipping previously operated under the name Eastchem Shipping SDN. BHD.
Singapore-based Unicious Energy PTE. Ltd. serves an important role in Triliance’s network, coordinating millions of dollars in petroleum-related payments for other companies within the network and aiding Triliance in its sale of hundreds of millions of dollars of petroleum products.
Related: Singapore: MPA investigation traces contaminated bunker fuel back to source at Port of Khor Fakkan
Related: OFAC updates list with shipping and petroleum firms over Iran involvement
Related: OFAC adds eight entitles from Iran, China, and Singapore due to petrochemical trades
Photo credit: tommao wang on Unsplash
Published: 2 March, 2023
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