The United States has taken action under National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-2, President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign on Iran, imposing sanctions on an Iranian oil terminal in the port of Huizhou, China.
According to the Department of State, the terminal, owned and operated by HUAYING PETROCHEMICAL, received and stored Iranian-origin crude oil onboard a blocked tanker. The terminal serves as a critical gateway for Iranian petroleum products to enter the Chinese market, where they are largely imported by China.
The Department of State is designating HUAYING HUIZHOU DAYA BAY PETROCHEMICAL TERMINAL STORAGE CO., LTD (HUAYING PETROCHEMICAL) pursuant to section 3(a)(ii) of Executive Order 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the acquisition of crude oil from Iran. In late January 2025, the U.S.-designated tanker, formerly SPIRIT OF CASPER, also known as NICHOLA, offloaded approximately one million barrels of Iranian-origin crude oil at the Huaying Daya Bay terminal.
This action marks the fourth round of sanctions targeting Iranian oil sales to stop the flow of revenue the regime uses to fund its destabilizing activities. The Department of Treasury is also imposing sanctions on 19 entities and vessels pursuant to Executive Order 13902, which targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors.
As a result of today's sanctions-related actions, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Additionally, all entities and individuals that have ownership, either directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.
The sanctions target Iran’s efforts to maintain revenues from its energy exports and fuel its destabilizing activities. The power and integrity of U.S. government sanctions derive not only from the U.S. government's ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law.
Petitions for removal from the SDN List may be sent to OFAC.Reconsideration@treasury.gov.