US Sanctions Lifting on Myanmar (Burma)????

 Obama declines to lift US sanctions on Myanmar

Washington: President Barack Obama on Thursday extended the US sanctions against Myanmar, warning that despite progress on human rights and governmental reform, a political opening in the country remained "nascent."....  Read More

The owner of All That Glitters, Mr. Brown,  was on the phone the other day talking to his American friend and associate who lives in Thailand and was visiting the states.   This dealer had indicated he heard from another dealer that the sanctions/embargo on the importation of Ruby and Jade had been repealed.   Mr. Brown hadn't heard this and in doing some research on line, it seems that some sanctions will be lifted and others will remain in place.  Where the embargo on Ruby and Jade falls with regard to sanctions, is still to be seen.  The previous loophole prior to the more recent embargo of 2008, was  that Burmese (Myanmar) goods could be imported into Thailand, faceted, reworked, set into jewelry and then be imported into the US via Thailand, whereas the rough or faceted material was banned from entering the U.S. directly from Burma.  With the law changing in 2008, Ruby and Jade from Burma, regardless of whether it came from Burma or reworked elsewhere, was not allowed into the United States.

It does look like sanctions/embargoes related to Burma will eventually be lifted, but it may be sometime as politics within Burma continue to change.  Key Republican Senator John McCain called Monday on the United States to suspend most sanctions on Myanmar.