Overview

• The US Treasury removed sanctions on four entities tied to Myanmar’s military leadership: KT Services & Logistics and founder Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung, the MCM Group and owner Aung Hlaing Oo, Suntac Technologies and owner Sit Taing Aung, and associate Tin Latt Min.
• The delistings followed a July 11 letter in which Senior General Min Aung Hlaing praised President Trump and sought relief from a planned 40 percent export tariff alongside broader sanction cuts.
• In his letter, Min Aung Hlaing proposed reducing US tariffs to 10–20 percent in exchange for Myanmar lowering its levies on American imports to between zero and 10 percent.
• Treasury provided no public rationale and the White House declined to comment, prompting Human Rights Watch to describe the move as extremely worrying for diluting leverage to restore democracy.
• Myanmar’s rich rare earth mineral reserves are central to US strategic competition with China, intensifying debate over whether securing resource access is outweighing pressure on the junta.