U.S. Extends Myanmar Sanctions for Another Year

The United States has renewed its “national emergency” declaration on Myanmar, ensuring sanctions against the military regime remain in place for another year.

President Donald Trump confirmed the extension this week, citing the ongoing crisis as “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.” The emergency order, first issued days after the 2021 coup, allows Washington to maintain restrictions on the junta, including a ban on jet fuel sales and the blacklisting of banks tied to the regime.

Trump said the U.S. would continue to monitor progress toward dialogue and reducing violence, adding he was prepared to “calibrate pressure as necessary to protect American interests.”

Advocacy groups welcomed the move. James Shwe of the Los Angeles Myanmar Movement argued the decision showed Washington would not bow to lobbying efforts to normalise relations with the junta.

Alongside the sanctions, Trump signed a spending bill allocating US$121 million in humanitarian aid for Myanmar. Crucially, none of the funds will go to the military regime.

Instead, the aid—authorised under the Burma Act—will support democracy initiatives, cross-border assistance through Thailand and India, non-lethal aid and training, local governance, and justice efforts for crimes committed against the Rohingya.

The package also provides support for political prisoners and civil disobedience movements. It passed narrowly in the House of Representatives, with 217 votes in favour and 214 against, before winning stronger backing in the Senate.

The new allocation reinstates significant aid after earlier cuts to USAID programmes. For Myanmar’s pro-democracy groups, it represents both a lifeline and a signal that Washington intends to keep pressure on the junta while bolstering those resisting its rule.

-2026-02-07