Repeal of 19 SEMA Permit Orders

Summary#

This is the Order Repealing Certain Orders Made Under the Special Economic Measures Act. It repeals 19 country- or situation-specific permit-authorization orders under the Special Economic Measures Act and came into force on February 26, 2025 (registered as SOR/2025-49, published March 12, 2025). The repeal accompanies a new, single permit-authorization instrument intended to replace the many separate orders.

What it does#

• It formally repeals these Permit Authorization Orders:
  • Special Economic Measures (Burma) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Zimbabwe) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Iran) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Syria) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Russia) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Ukraine) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (South Sudan) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Venezuela) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Nicaragua) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Belarus) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (People’s Republic of China) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Haiti) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Sri Lanka) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Moldova) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Hamas Terrorist Attacks) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Guatemala) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Sudan) Permit Authorization Order
  • Special Economic Measures (Extremist Settler Violence) Permit Authorization Order
• The Order takes effect on the day it was registered (February 26, 2025).
• The repeal is linked to the introduction of a consolidated instrument, the Special Economic Measures Permit Authorization Order, which is intended to give the Minister of Foreign Affairs authority to issue both individual permits and broader “general permits” that can apply to any person covered by a particular sanctions regulation.

Who's affected#

• Exporters, importers, banks and financial institutions, and other businesses that deal with the countries or situations named in the repealed orders.
• Humanitarian and development organizations that sometimes need exemptions from sanctions.
• Lawyers and compliance officers who handle sanctions permits and filings.
• Global Affairs Canada, which administers sanctions and issues permits.
• It is not fully clear from this Order how many people or entities will use the new general-permit option in practice, or exactly which activities will be covered by future general permits.

Why it matters#

• The change centralizes and simplifies how Canada authorizes exceptions to sanctions. That can make it faster to grant broad permission for certain activities (for example, humanitarian or commercial transactions) instead of issuing many one-off permits.
• General permits could mean Canada has less routine visibility into every permitted transaction. The government says it may ask users of a general permit to report their activities to reduce that risk.
• For businesses and aid groups, the move could make it easier to get permission for lawful activity that would otherwise be prohibited by sanctions. For the public, it matters because it changes how tightly Canada controls and monitors exceptions to its sanctions regimes.
• The source does not list specific future general permits or detailed reporting rules, so some practical details remain unclear.