Trade, tariffs and industry

Executive Order 13121: Blocking Property of the Governments of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), the Republic of Serbia, and the Republic of Montenegro, and Prohibiting Trade Transactions Involving the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) in Response to the Situation in Kosovo

President: Bill Clinton

Expanded the 1998 Kosovo-related Yugoslavia sanctions, including government-property blocking and trade restrictions.

Status: Revoked.

Is Executive Order 13121 still in effect? No. Revoked effective May 29, 2003 by EO 13304; the Kosovo-era trade and property restrictions described here are historical.

What does Executive Order 13121 do?

EO 13121 amended EO 13088 during the Kosovo conflict. It blocked property of the Yugoslav, Serbian and Montenegrin governments within U.S. jurisdiction and prohibited specified trade and transactions, while directing safeguards for civilian food, medicine and medical-equipment sales. A January 2001 order later modified parts of the regime. EO 13304 revoked EO 13121 effective May 29, 2003 and ended the related emergency framework, subject to the successor order’s stated savings and separate restrictions. These measures should not be described as today’s Western Balkans sanctions without checking the current authorities that apply to a transaction.

Administration position: The restrictions included express licensing and humanitarian provisions; later orders materially changed and then revoked this sanctions measure.
SignedApril 30, 1999
EffectiveMay 1, 1999
AmendedEO 13088; modified in 2001
RevokedMay 29, 2003 by EO 13304

Before and after

Before the order

EO 13088 had declared a Kosovo-related emergency and imposed earlier restrictions.

After the order

EO 13121 expanded government-property blocking and trade restrictions.

The measures were modified in 2001 and the order was revoked in 2003.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Treasury, in consultation with StateAdminister blocking measures, licenses and humanitarian safeguardsHistorical Kosovo sanctions regime
U.S. personsObserve covered transaction restrictionsUntil changes and revocation took effect

What happened next

EO 13121 signed.

Restrictions took effect.

Later executive action modified restrictions.

EO 13304 revoked EO 13121 and ended the underlying emergency framework.