Foreign policy and sanctions

Executive Order 12920: Prohibiting Certain Transactions With Respect to Haiti

President: Bill Clinton

Cut most payments, transfers and exports to Haiti while preserving humanitarian, family and informational exceptions.

Status: Revoked — by EO 12932 on October 16, 1994.

Is Executive Order 12920 still in effect? No. EO 12932 revoked it in 1994.

What does Executive Order 12920 do?

EO 12920 barred most payments and credit between the United States and Haiti and most exports to Haiti, subject to government, humanitarian, family, travel and information exceptions and licenses. A presidential report records that Treasury suspended several unilateral sanctions on October 5, 1994 and removed the order's payment-transfer ban through amendments to the Haitian Transactions Regulations. EO 12932 formally revoked the order on October 16 after the elected government returned.

Administration position: The order sought broad economic pressure while retaining humanitarian and communication channels. Exceptions remained conditional.
SignedJune 10, 1994
RestrictionsFinancial transfers and exports
Family remittance$50 monthly per household

Before and after

Before the order

Earlier measures lacked this general funds-and-exports prohibition.

After the order

The order initially restricted most financial flows and exports subject to exceptions and licenses. Treasury relaxed the payment-transfer restriction on October 5, 1994 before formal revocation.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
TreasuryAdminister prohibitions and licenses with StateUntil revocation

What happened next

EO 12920 imposed the restrictions.

Treasury amended Haiti regulations to remove the payment-transfer ban while suspending several unilateral sanctions.

EO 12932 revoked the order.