{"id":"F2025L01369","name":"Autonomous Sanctions (Suspension of Sanctions – Syria) Instrument 2025","slug":"autonomous-sanctions-suspension-of-sanctions-syria-instrument-2025","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":443034,"registerId":"F2025L01369-fast-fetch-1775957945972","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Autonomous Sanctions (Suspension of Sanctions – Syria) Instrument 2025","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-keywords: \"[SEC=OFFICIAL:Sensitive]\"\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nAutonomous Sanctions (Suspension of Sanctions – Syria) Instrument 2025\n\nI, PENNY WONG, Minister for Foreign Affairs, make the following instrument.\n\nDated 11 November 2025  \n\nPenny Wong\n\nMinister for Foreign Affairs\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1  Name\n\n2  Commencement\n\n3  Authority\n\n4  Definitions\n\n5  Suspension of sanctions for sanctioned commercial activities\n\n \n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Autonomous Sanctions (Suspension of Sanctions – Syria) Instrument 2025.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this instrument The day after this instrument is registered.\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under regulation 5D of the Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011.\n\n4  Definitions\n\nNote: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in the Regulations, including the following:\n\n(a) sanctioned commercial activity;\n\n(b) sanctioned service.\n\n  In this instrument:\n\nRegulations means the Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011.\n\n5  Suspension of sanctions for sanctioned commercial activities\n\n  For paragraph 5D(d) of the Regulations, each activity mentioned in regulation 5A of the Regulations is not a sanctioned commercial activity.\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument operates exactly within its intended scope. It is a standard exercise of the suspension power conferred by regulation 5D of the Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011, which specifically allows the Foreign Minister to suspend sanctions for sanctioned commercial activities. The instrument does not expand beyond this narrow, specific purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short: only 5 operative provisions spanning less than 2 pages","Minimal defined terms: only 1 definition ('Regulations'), with 2 terms cross-referenced to parent regulations","Single operative mechanism: one declaratory sentence in section 5 that removes designation of activities","No conditional logic, exceptions, or nested provisions","No cross-references beyond the enabling regulation and parent regulations","Straightforward administrative instrument format with standard machinery provisions (name, commencement, authority)"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument temporarily suspends Australia’s autonomous sanctions on Syria for certain commercial activities, allowing trade, investment and related financial transactions that were previously designated as prohibited. It affects Australian businesses and individuals, Syrian counterparties, and banks that facilitate transactions. The change is a targeted, temporary policy shift that permits some commercial engagement to resume while other sanctions (e.g., on services or designated persons) may still apply."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The instrument narrows the reach of the Autonomous Sanctions Regulations by declaring that each activity listed in regulation 5A is not a 'sanctioned commercial activity' for the purposes of paragraph 5D(d) (section 5). Mechanically, that removes those specified Syria-related activities from the set of activities to which sanctions apply. The authority for this change is the Minister under regulation 5D (section 3). Affected parties therefore avoid sanctions treatment for those activities, but must consult regulation 5A to confirm whether a given activity falls within the exclusion (sections 4–5)."},"complexity_factors":["Single, narrowly framed operative clause: section 5 directly changes the status of activities (section 5).","Heavy reliance on external definitions: effect depends entirely on terms and scope of regulation 5A and paragraph 5D(d) in the Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011 (section 5 and section 4).","Low statutory layering: no new procedures, offences, or administrative mechanisms introduced (whole instrument).","Executive discretion already vested: instrument made under regulation 5D, so expansion or suspension depends on Ministerial decision (section 3).","Potential compliance ambiguity for affected parties who must consult the Regulations to determine which activities are excluded (section 4 and section 5).","Straightforward commencement rule: instrument operates from the day after registration (section 2)."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument removes certain Syria-related commercial activities from Australia’s list of sanctioned commercial activities under the Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011. Businesses and individuals engaging in the activities identified in the Regulations will no longer be treated as carrying out a ‘sanctioned commercial activity’, allowing those specific transactions to proceed without application of the listed sanctions. The change was made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs under the Regulations and takes effect the day after registration."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/autonomous-sanctions-suspension-of-sanctions-syria-instrument-2025","history":"/api/acts/autonomous-sanctions-suspension-of-sanctions-syria-instrument-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/autonomous-sanctions-suspension-of-sanctions-syria-instrument-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/autonomous-sanctions-suspension-of-sanctions-syria-instrument-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/autonomous-sanctions-suspension-of-sanctions-syria-instrument-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/autonomous-sanctions-suspension-of-sanctions-syria-instrument-2025/documents"}}