ExecutiveOrdersEO
DetDeterminationTrump 45 · R Quiet signal

Presidential Determination

Presidential Determination With Respect to the Efforts of Foreign Governments Regarding Trafficking in Persons

This determination, issued under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, imposes foreign assistance restrictions on 10 governments for FY 2018 due to inadequate anti-trafficking efforts, while granting partial or full waivers for 21 other countries based on national interest determinations. It also directs U.S. representatives at multilateral development banks and the IMF to vote against loans benefiting Iran, North Korea, and Russia.

Federal Register Open PDF 82 FR 50047

Impact dates

  1. FY 2018 assistance restrictions take effect

  2. Submission to Congress and Federal Register publication

Key directives

  • Withhold nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related assistance to DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, South Sudan, Sudan, and Venezuela for FY 2018
  • Withhold assistance and educational/cultural exchange funding for Eritrea, DPRK, Russia, and Syria for FY 2018
  • Instruct U.S. Executive Directors at multilateral development banks and IMF to vote against and deny loans to Iran, DPRK, and Russia for FY 2018
  • Grant partial waivers for DRC, South Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, Venezuela, Eritrea, Russia, and Syria
  • Grant full waivers for Belarus, Belize, Burundi, CAR, China, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
  • Submit determination, certification, and Memorandum of Justification to Congress
  • Publish determination in Federal Register

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Assistance restrictions take effect for FY 2018 (beginning October 1, 2017)
  • U.S. Executive Directors instructed to vote against loans to Iran, DPRK, and Russia

Near term (90d)

  • Secretary of State to submit determination, certification, and Memorandum of Justification to Congress
  • Federal Register publication

Long term

  • Annual cycle of trafficking determinations expected to continue
  • Potential shifts in waiver status based on country compliance with minimum standards

Risks & tensions

  • Partial waivers for Russia and Syria for educational exchanges while restricting other assistance creates inconsistent messaging
  • Waiver for Venezuela democracy programs amid broader political tensions
  • DRC and South Sudan waivers exclude security assistance, potentially complicating counter-trafficking capacity building
  • China receives full waiver despite persistent trafficking concerns, suggesting geopolitical prioritization over compliance standards
Presidential Determination: Presidential Determination With Respect to the Efforts of Foreign Governments Regarding Trafficking in Persons · Executive Orders