Following the lead of other Western countries, Canada partially lifted its Burma sanctions yesterday. As discussed in an earlier post, Canada had imposed the following sanctions against the Myanmar regime:
- a ban on all goods exported from Canada to Myanmar, excepting only the export of humanitarian goods;
- a ban on all goods imported from Myanmar into Canada;
- a freeze on assets in Canada of any designated Myanmar nationals connected with the Myanmar State;
- a ban on new investment in Myanmar by Canadian persons and companies;
- a prohibition on the provision of Canadian financial services to and from Myanmar;
- a prohibition on the export of any technical data to Myanmar;
- a prohibition on Canadian-registered ships or aircraft from docking or landing in Myanmar; and
- a prohibition on Myanmar-registered ships or aircraft from docking or landing in Canada and passing through Canada.
The above sanctions were lifted, but persons in Canada and Canadians abroad are still barred from commercial dealings with 44 companies and 38 persons, mainly Myanmar army generals and associates from the former military government, and their companies. A Canadian arms embargo also remains in effect.
Again like the EU, Canadian sanctions are administratively based and so more flexible in their implementation and removal. Further lifting of US sanctions will take significant time, probably months, because legislation and the US Congress is involved.
