16 September 2016

During the visit of Myanmar State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Daw Aung Suu Kyi to Washington DC this week, US President Barack Obama announced plans to lift long-held US economic sanctions stating that it is “the right thing to do in order to ensure that the people of Burma see rewards from a new way of doing business and a new government.” 

The Obama administration has progressively removed sanctions since 2012 as a response to the country's efforts at democratisation. Among the sanctions that currently remain are bans on trade and investment with the military, armed groups, and individuals who do business with the military, and restrictions on the importation of jade and other gems. Despite the lifting of sanctions, several restrictions will remain in place, according to a U.S. State Department press release. They include a visa ban barring some former and current members of Myanmar's military from traveling to the U.S. and limitations on foreign assistance to the military. Details on which sanctions will be lifted and when this will take effect have yet to be announced.