US Commerce Department restricts licensing of sensitive exports to Burma’s military and security services in response to the recent military coup

The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) implemented a series of restrictions on exports of sensitive items to Burma’s Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Home Affairs, armed forces, and security services in response to the Burmese military’s actions to overthrow the democratically elected civilian government of Burma.

Effective immediately, BIS will apply a presumption of denial for items requiring a license for export and reexport to these select Burmese government departments and agencies. In addition, BIS is revoking certain previously issued licenses to these departments and agencies which have not been fully utilized. BIS also will suspend certain license exceptions previously available to Burma as a result of its current Country Group placement under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), including Shipments to Country Group B countries (GBS) and Technology and Software under restriction (TSR).

BIS is also assessing additional actions, including possible Entity List additions, adding Burma to the list of countries subject to the EAR’s military end use and end user (MEU) and military intelligence end use and end user (MIEU) restrictions, and downgrading Burma’s Country Group status in the EAR.

The Department of Commerce released the following statement:

“The military coup in Burma is a direct assault on Burma’s transition to democracy and the rule of law. By taking immediate action to prevent the Burmese military from benefiting from access to sensitive U.S. technology, we are sending a direct message that the United States stands with the people of Burma and their lawful democratic institutions. The Department of Commerce will take all appropriate action to limit such access by those responsible for dismantling the democratic institutions that the people of Burma have worked tirelessly to build.”