Summary of economic sanctions episodes, 1914–2006

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Year
imposed		 Year
ended		 Principal 
sendera		 Target 
country		 Policy 
goal
Success
scoreb
(scale 
1 to 16)
Cost
to
target
(percent
of GNP)
1914 1918 United Kingdom Germany Military victory
12
7.1
1917 1918 United States Japan Shipping for Allies
4
0.8
1918 1920 United Kingdom Russia Destabilize Bolsheviks 
2
4.1
1921 1921 League of Nations Yugoslavia Military disruption vs. Albania
16
–
1925 1925 League of Nations Greece Withdraw from Bulgaria
16
–
1932 1935 League of Nations Paraguay Settle the Chaco War
6
negligible
1932 1935 League of Nations Bolivia Settle the Chaco War
6
2.6
1933 1933 United Kingdom USSR Release British citizens
12
0.02
1935 1936 League of Nations Italy Withdraw from Abyssinia
2
1.7
1938 1947 United States Mexico Expropriation dispute
9
0.2
1939 1945 United States Germany Regime change
8
1.4
1939 1945 United States Germany Military victory
12
1.4
1940 1941 United States Japan Withdraw from Southeast Asia
1
0.9
1941 1945 United States Japan Regime change
8
1.9
1941 1945 United States Japan Military victory
12
1.9
1944 1947 United States Argentina Destabilize Perón 
4
0.8
1946 Ongoing Arab League Israel Create Palestinian homeland 
4
1.7
1948 1994 United States USSR, Comecom Impair military potential 
6
0.2
1948 1955 USSR Yugoslavia Destabilize Tito government
1
–2.5
1948 1949 United States Netherlands Recognize Indonesia
16
0.2
1948 1949 USSR France Berlin blockade 
2
negligible
1948 1949 USSR United Kingdom Berlin blockade
2
0.1
1948 1949 USSR United States Berlin blockade
2
0.1
1948 1948 India Hyderabad Assimilate Hyderabad
8
2
1949 1970 United States China Impair military potential
2
0.5
1950 Ongoing United States North Korea Regime change 
1
1.2
1950 Ongoing United States North Korea Military impairment
4
1.2
1950 1953 United States China Military disruption, Korea
2
0.5
1951 1953 United States Iran Destabilize Mossadegh
12
14.3
1954 1984 Spain United Kingdom Sovereignty over Gibraltar
6
0.009
1954 1974 United States North Vietnam Military impairment
1
1.6
1954 1961 India Portugal Assimilate Goa into India
8
negligible
1954 1954 USSR Australia Repatriate Soviet defector
2
0.5
1956 1983 United States Israel Intermittent, various
4
0.1
1956 1962 United States Laos Destabilization
9
4.2
1956 1956 United States Egypt Suez nationalization
9
3.4
1956 1956 United States United Kingdom End Suez intervention
12
0.3
1957 1963 France Tunisia Assistance to Algerian rebels
2
0.9
1957 1962 Indonesia Netherlands Control of West Irian
8
0.7
1958 1959 USSR Finland Adopt pro-USSR policies
16
1.1
1960 1989 United States Cuba Destabilize Castro
1
3.9
1960 1989 United States Cuba Disruption of military adventures
8
3.9
1960 1970 USSR China Military impairment
4
0.5
1960 1962 United States Dominican Republic Destabilize Trujillo
12
1.9
1961 1965 United States Ceylon Expropriation dispute  
16
0.6
1961 1965 USSR Albania Destabilize Hoxha 
1
0.6
1961 1962 United States German Democratic Republic Berlin Wall
2
–
1962 1994 United Nations South Africa End apartheid, Namibia
8
1.2
1962 1964 United States Brazil Expropriation, destabilization
12
0.6
1962 1963 USSR Romania Limit economic independence
2
–
1963 1974 Organization of African Unity Portugal Free African colonies
8
0.3
1963 1966 Indonesia Malaysia "Crush Malaysia"
2
1
1963 1966 United States Indonesia Regime change 
8
2
1963 1966 United States Indonesia End "Crush Malaysia"
8
2
1963 1965 United States Egypt Military disruption, Yemen, Congo
12
1.4
1963 1963 United States South Vietnam Destabilize Diem
12
0.3
1964 1966 France Tunisia Expropriation
6
1.5
1965 1979 United Nations Rhodesia Majority rule 
12
13
1965 1967 United States India Agriculture policy
16
0.08
1965 1966 United States Chile Reduce copper price
9
–
1967 1970 Nigeria Biafra End civil war
12
15.2
1968 1974 United States Peru Expropriation
12
0.7
1968 1968 United States Peru French fighter jets
1
0.7
1970 1973 United States Chile Destabilize Allende
12
1.5
1971 1971 United States Pakistan Military disruption
4
0.3
1971 1971 United States India Military disruption
4
0.1
1971 1971 United Kingdom Malta Defense agreement
6
4.4
1972 1979 United States Uganda Destabilize Amin
12
2.6
1973 1977 United States South Korea Human rights
4
1.8
1973 1974 Arab League Netherlands Support for Israel
9
4.0
1973 1974 Arab League United States Support for Israel
9
0.2
1974 1978 United States Turkey Military disruption, Cyprus
1
0.2
1974 1976 Canada India Nuclear proliferation
4
0.04
1974 1976 Canada Pakistan Nuclear proliferation
4
0.1
1975 1998 United States North Vietnam Account for MIAs, withdrawal from Cambodia
6
1.2
1975 1994 United States USSR Freer emigration
8
0.01
1975 1990 United States Chile Human rights, democracy
8
0.7
1975 1982 United States South Africa Nuclear policy
4
0.005
1975 1979 United States Kampuchea Human rights, deter Vietnamese
2
6.4
1975 1976 United States South Korea Nuclear proliferation
16
–
1976 Ongoing United States Arab League Antiboycott
6
0.04
1976 1981 United States Uruguay Human rights
6
0.3
1976 1977 United States Taiwan Nuclear policy
16
0.1
1977 2005 United States Guatemala Human rights
9
0.2
1977 1992 United States Ethiopia Human rights, expropriation
6
–6.3
1977 1984 United States Brazil Human rights
6
0.1
1977 1983 United States Argentina Human rights
6
0.1
1977 1981 United States Paraguay Human rights
6
0.1
1977 1981 United States El Salvador Human rights
6
0.5
1977 1979 United States Nicaragua Destabilize Somoza
12
1.0
1977 1978 Canada European Community Nuclear safeguards
9
0.002
1977 1978 Canada Japan Nuclear safeguards
9
0.01
1978 2004 United States Libya Destabilize Gadhafi
12
1.7
1978 2004 United States Libya Nuclear proliferation
12
1.7
1978 1988 China Vietnam Withdraw from Kampuchea
6
3.5
1978 1983 China Albania Anti-Chinese rhetoric
2
3.3
1978 1983 Arab League Egypt Camp David Accords
2
–0.4
1978 1982 United States Argentina Nuclear policy
4
negligible
1978 1982 United States India Nuclear policy
4
0.01
1978 1981 United States Brazil Nuclear policy
4
0.002
1978 1980 United States USSR Human rights (dissidents)
2
0.003
1979 1997 United States Pakistan Nuclear policy
1
1.0
1979 1990 United States Chile Assassination of Letelier
12
0.7
1979 1982 United States Bolivia Human rights, drugs
6
1.7
1979 1981 United States Iran Return hostages
12
3.8
1979 1979 Arab League Canada Planned embassy move
12
0.003
1980 2003 United States Iraq Terrorism
4
0.1
1980 1981 United States USSR Invasion of Afghanistan
2
0.04
1980 1981 United States USSR Impairment, Afghanistan
2
0.04
1981 1990 United States Nicaragua Destabilize Sandinistas
8
3.2
1981 1987 United States Poland Various, solidarity
9
0.1
1981 1986 European Community Turkey Restore democracy
6
0.2
1981 1982 United States USSR Impairment, Poland
1
0.03
1982 1991 Netherlands Suriname Human rights, Cuba-Libya influence
9
6.2
1982 1986 South Africa Lesotho Return South African refugees
16
5.1
1982 1982 United Kingdom Argentina Withdraw from Falklands
12
0.6
1983 1989 United States Romania Human rights, emigration
6
0.4
1983 1988 United States Zimbabwe Foreign policy
4
0.4
1983 1986 Australia France Nuclear testing
2
negligible
1983 1983 United States USSR KAL 007 shooting down
2
negligible
1983 1983 United States Grenada Destabilize Communist sympathizers
8
negligible
1984 Ongoing United States Iran Nuclear proliferation, terrorism
4
0.4
1984 1997 United States Lebanon Hostage taking, Hezbollah activities
6
1.0
1985 1991 United States South Africa Apartheid
12
1.9
1986 Ongoing  United States Syria Terrorism
6
0.02
1986 1999 Greece Turkey Aegean Island, Cyprus, human rights
4
0.1
1986 1992 United States Angola Cuban troops, Marxism
6
0.04
1986 1986 France New Zealand Repatriation of French agents
12
0.005
1987 2001 India Fiji Restore democracy, modify Constitution
4
0.9
1987 1990 United States Panama Destabilize Noriega
8
6.0
1987 1990 United States Haiti Human rights, drugs, elections
6
2.9
1987 1988 United States El Salvador Amnesty
16
–
1988 Ongoing United States Burma Human rights, elections
4
1.7
1988 Ongoing  United Nations Somalia Human rights, civil war
2
7.5
1989 Ongoing  United States China Human rights (Tiananmen Square)
2
negligible
1989 Ongoing  United States Sudan Human rights, democracy
4
3.7
1989 Ongoing  Turkey, Azerbijan Armenia Withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh
2
4.0
1989 1990 India Nepal Relations with China
9
4.6
1990 Ongoing  United States Cuba Destabilize Castro
4
14.0
1990 1997 United States Zaire Democracy
4
3.8
1990 1997 United States Yemen et al. Enforce UN embargo vs. Iraq
9
5.2
1990 1994 United States Jordan Enforce UN embargo vs. Iraq
6
5.6
1990 1993 United States Romania Democracy, elections
6
0.4
1990 1993 United States El Salvador Human rights, end civil war
9
1.3
1990 1993 United States Kenya Political repression, human rights, democracy
6
2.3
1990 1991 United Nations Iraq, prewar Military disruption, free Kuwait, hostages
2
30.0
1990 1990 USSR Lithuania Revoke Independence Declaration
6
1.5
1991 Ongoing  United States China Nuclear proliferation
4
negligible
1991 2003 United Nations Iraq, postwar Destabilization
1
54.0
1991 2003 United Nations Iraq, postwar Military impairment
9
54.0
1991 2001 United Nations Yugoslavia Civil war in Bosnia
9
13.3
1991 1997 United States Indonesia Human rights in East Timor
2
0.1
1991 1995 USSR/Russia Turkmenistan Human rights for Russians
12
19.8
1991 1995 United States Peru Democracy, human rights
12
0.5
1991 1994 United Nations Haiti Democracy
4
14.2
1991 1992 United States Thailand Coup
6
0.04
1991 1991 United States USSR Coup
8
negligible
1992 Ongoing  European Union Togo Democracy, human rights
4
3.4
1992 2003 United Nations Libya Extradite Pan Am suspects
12
0.9
1992 2002 United States Azerbaijan End Armenia embargo
1
0.7
1992 2000 European Union Equatorial Guinea Democracy, human rights
6
15.0
1992 1999 USSR/Russia Estonia Human rights for Russians
4
1.0
1992 1998 Economic Community of West African States Liberia Civil war
12
10.2
1992 1998 USSR/Russia Latvia Human rights for Russians
4
1.0
1992 1998 United States Cameroon Human rights, democracy
4
0.2
1992 1997 United Nations Cambodia, Khmer Rouge Ban Khmer Rouge
6
negligible
1992 1995 United States Nicaragua Civil control over military, expropriation claims
12
2.4
1992 1994 China France Arms sales to Taiwan
12
0.01
1992 1994 European Union Algeria Democracy
4
–0.1
1992 1993 United States Malawi Democracy, human rights
16
6.6
1993 Ongoing United States Sudan Terrorism, religious persecution
6
0.4
1993 2002 United Nations Angola, Unita Civil war, democracy
12
7.5
1993 1998 United States Nigeria Human rights, democracy, narcotics
4
0.4
1993 1997 USSR/Russia Ukraine Control over Black Sea fleet, nuclear weapons
6
7.1
1993 1996 USSR/Russia Kazakhstan Independence issues, energy resources
9
4.6
1993 1994 United States North Korea Nuclear proliferation
9
–
1993 1993 United States Guatemala Coup
16
1.3
1994 1998 United States Gambia Democracy
6
–0.02
1994 1995 Greece Macedonia National identity
9
3.2
1994 1995 Greece Albania Release of jailed ethnic Greek leaders
16
2.9
1994 1995 United Nations Rwanda Civil violence
2
–5.6
1995 1998 United States Peru Border conflict
8
negligible
1995 1998 United States Ecuador Border conflict
8
negligible
1995 1996 Australia France Nuclear testing
4
negligible
1995 1995 European Union Turkey Human rights
9
negligible
1996 2000 United States Nigeria Democracy
9
4.9
1996 1999 East African members of Organization of African Unity Burundi Democracy
6
10.4
1996 1998 United States Zambia Human rights, constitutional reform
4
2.9
1996 1998 United States Colombia Narcotics, human rights
6
0.2
1996 1996 United States, Mercosur members Paraguay Possible coup attempt
12
–
1997 Ongoing  United Nations Cambodia, Khmer Rouge Democracy
4
2.6
1997 2003 United Nations Sierra Leone Democracy
8
5.8
1998 2001 United States Pakistan Nuclear policy
4
1.0
1998 2001 United States India Nuclear proliferation
2
0.2
1998 2001 United States Yugoslavia, Serbia Destabilize Milošević
12
8.3
1998 1999 United States Yugoslavia, Serbia Kosovo
6
8.3
1998 1999 Turkey Italy Kurdish leader
9
–
1999 2002 United States Indonesia Independence for East Timor
12
0.2
1999 2002 United Nations Afghanistan Extradite Osama bin Laden
2
1.1
1999 2002 United States Ivory Coast Coup, democracy
6
0.3
1991 2001 United States Pakistan Coup, democracy
2
negligible
2000 2006 Economic Community of West African States Liberia Support for RUF
8
18.8
2000 2000 United States Ecuador Coup
12
–
2002 2006 United States North Korea Nuclear proliferation
1
0.6

(listed by year imposed)

a In some instances, other countries or international organizations participated in 
the sanctions.
b For the definition of success score, see Defining Success of Economic Sanctions Episodes. 
Source: Economic Sanctions Reconsidered, 3d ed. (2008).