U.S. lifts sanctions on Myanmar businessmen
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Phyo (NP News) - July 26
According to a report by Reuters, the United States lifted sanctions designations on several allies of Myanmar’s ruling generals on Thursday, just two weeks after the State Administration Council (SAC) praised former President Donald Trump and urged an easing of sanctions in a letter responding to a tariff warning.
A notice from the U.S. Treasury Department stated that KT Services & Logistics and its founder Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung; the MCM Group and its owner Aung Hlaing Oo; Suntac Technologies and its owner Sit Taing Aung; along with another individual, Tin Latt Min, were being removed from the U.S. sanctions list.
KT Services & Logistics and Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung were originally sanctioned in January 2022 under the Biden administration. Sit Taing Aung and Aung Hlaing Oo were also added to the list that year due to their involvement in Myanmar's defense sector. Tin Latt Min, identified as a close associate of the SAC, was sanctioned in 2024.
The Treasury Department did not provide an explanation for the delistings, and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Myanmar is one of the world’s key sources of rare earth minerals, which are essential for high-tech defense and consumer products. Securing access to these materials has become a strategic priority for the United States amid growing competition with China, which currently handles around 90 percent of global rare earth processing.
According to the report, most of Myanmar’s rare earth mining operations are located in areas controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), with the raw materials often processed in China.
John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, called the U.S. move “shocking,” adding that the motivation behind it remains unclear.
On July 11, Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing sent a letter to former President Trump requesting a reduction in the 40 percent tariff rate on Myanmar’s exports to the U.S., and expressed willingness to send a negotiating team to Washington if necessary.