List of national emergencies in the United States


A national emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to perform actions not normally permitted. The 1976 National Emergencies Act implemented various legal requirements regarding emergencies declared by the President of the United States.
Between the enactment of the National Emergencies Act in 1976 through March 13, 2020, 69 emergencies have been declared; 34 have expired and another 35 are currently in effect, each having been renewed annually by the president.
StatusPresidentStart dateEnd dateCategoryDescription
EndedWilsonFebruary 5, 1917March 3, 1921MaritimeEmergency in Water Transportation of the United States
EndedFranklin RooseveltMarch 9, 1933September 14, 1978EconomicDeclaring Bank Holiday – Declared a bank holiday from March 6 through March 9, 1933, using the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917 as a legal basis. The first of four emergencies cited by Senate Report 93-549 as never having been terminated.
EndedRooseveltSeptember 8, 1939April 28, 1952MilitaryProclaiming a National Emergency in Connection with the Observance, Safeguarding, and Enforcement of Neutrality and the Strengthening of the National Defense Within the Limits of Peace-Time Authorizations
EndedRooseveltMay 27, 1941April 28, 1952MilitaryProclaiming That an Unlimited National Emergency Confronts This Country, Which Requires That Its Military, Naval, Air and Civilian Defenses Be Put on the Basis of Readiness to Repel Any and All Acts or Threats of Aggression Directed Toward Any Part of the Western Hemisphere – declaration of an unlimited national emergency under threat from Nazi Germany.
EndedTrumanDecember 16, 1950September 14, 1978MilitaryProclaiming the Existence of a National Emergency – declared that the United States' "military, naval, air and civilian defenses" should be used to fight communism as part of the Korean War. The second of four emergencies cited by Senate Report 93-549 as never having been terminated.
EndedNixonMarch 23, 1970September 14, 1978EconomicDeclaring a National Emergency – declaration in response to the 1970 United States Postal Service strike. The third of four emergencies cited by Senate Report 93-549 as never having been terminated.
EndedNixonAugust 15, 1971September 14, 1978TradeImposition of Supplemental Duty for Balance of Payments Purposes – imposed import controls in response to the Nixon shock. The last of four emergencies cited by Senate Report 93-549 as never having been terminated.
CarterNovember 14, 1979SanctionsBlocking Iranian Government Property – ordered the freezing of Iranian assets as part of the U.S. response during the Iran hostage crisis
EndedCarterApril 17, 1980January 19, 1981SanctionsFurther Prohibitions on Transactions with Iran – prohibitions revoked on January 19, 1981, but national emergency left in effect and neither terminated nor continued
EndedReaganOctober 14, 1983December 20, 1983TradeContinuation of Export Control Regulations – expiry of the Export Administration Act of 1979
EndedReaganMarch 30, 1984July 12, 1985TradeContinuation of Export Control Regulations – expiry of the Export Administration Act of 1979
EndedReaganMay 1, 1985March 13, 1990SanctionsProhibiting Trade and Certain Other Transactions Involving Nicaragua – The United States embargo against Nicaragua, followed the victory by Sandinista candidate Daniel Ortega in the 1984 Nicaraguan general election over the U.S.-backed Contras
EndedReaganSeptember 9, 1985July 10, 1991SanctionsProhibiting Trade and Certain Other Transactions Involving South Africa – response to the initial attempt by Senate Democrats to pass what would be the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986
EndedReaganJanuary 7, 1986September 20, 2004SanctionsProhibiting Trade and Certain Transactions Involving Libya – followed the 1985 Rome and Vienna airport attacks
EndedReaganApril 8, 1988April 5, 1990SanctionsProhibiting Certain Transactions with Respect to Panama – deteriorating relationship between the U.S. and General Manuel Noriega
EndedBush August 2, 1990July 29, 2004SanctionsBlocking Iraqi Government Property and Prohibiting Transactions with Iraq – in response to the invasion of Kuwait
EndedBush September 30, 1990September 30, 1993TradeContinuation of Export Control Regulations – expiry of the Export Administration Act of 1979
EndedBush November 16, 1990November 11, 1994ArmsChemical and Biological Weapons Proliferation – followed the signing with the U.S.S.R. of the 1990 Chemical Weapons Accord, and preceded the May 1991 commitment by George H.W. Bush to destroy weapon agents, systems, and production facilities of the United States chemical weapons program
EndedBush October 4, 1991October 14, 1994SanctionsProhibiting Certain Transactions with Respect to Haiti – followed the 1991 Haitian coup d'état against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Re-declared by Clinton on May 7, 1994
EndedBush May 30, 1992May 28, 2003SanctionsBlocking Property and Property of the Governments of Serbia and Montenegro – in response to the start of the Bosnian War
EndedBill ClintonSeptember 26, 1993May 6, 2003SanctionsProhibiting Certain Transactions Involving UNITA – imposed economic sanctions on UNITA, a political group in Angola.
EndedClintonSeptember 30, 1993September 29, 1994ArmsMeasures To Restrict the Participation by United States Persons in Weapons Proliferation Activities – restricted US development of nuclear and chemical weapons.
EndedClintonJune 30, 1994August 19, 1994TradeContinuation of Export Control Regulations
EndedClintonAugust 19, 1994April 4, 2001TradeContinuation of Export Control Regulations – revoked and revised Executive Order 12923
EndedClintonSeptember 29, 1994November 14, 1994SanctionsMeasures to Restrict the Participation by United States Persons in Weapons Proliferation Activities
EndedClintonOctober 25, 1994May 28, 2003SanctionsBlocking Property and Additional Measures With Respect to the Bosnian Serb-Controlled Areas of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
ClintonNovember 14, 1994ArmsProliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction – provides for control over the export of weapons; combined two previous national emergencies regarding WMDs.
ClintonJanuary 23, 1995SanctionsProhibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process – imposed economic sanctions on Specially Designated Terrorists, including the ANO, Hezbollah, the DFLP, Hamas, and the PFLP.
ClintonMarch 15, 1995SanctionsProhibiting Certain Transactions with Respect to the Development of Iranian Petroleum Resources – intended to prevent a business deal between Iran and Conoco.
ClintonOctober 21, 1995SanctionsBlocking Assets and Prohibiting Transactions with Significant Narcotics Traffickers – declared in response to Colombian drug cartels using American companies to launder money.
ClintonMarch 1, 1996MaritimeDeclaration of a National Emergency and Invocation of Emergency Authority Relating to the Regulation of the Anchorage and Movement of Vessels – implemented following the destruction of two civilian aircraft by the Cuban military on February 24, 1996.
EndedClintonMay 20, 1997October 7, 2016SanctionsProhibiting New Investment in Burma
ClintonNovember 3, 1997SanctionsBlocking Sudanese Government Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Sudan – established a trade embargo against Sudan, specifically targeting the Sudanese government.
EndedClintonJune 9, 1998May 28, 2003SanctionsBlocking Property of the Governments of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Serbia, and the Republic of Montenegro, and Prohibiting New Investment in the Republic of Serbia in Response to the Situation in Kosovo – declaration of a national emergency during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
EndedClintonJuly 4, 1999July 2, 2002SanctionsBlocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With the Taliban
EndedClintonJune 21, 2000June 25, 2012SanctionsBlocking Property of the Government of the Russian Federation Relating to the Disposition of Highly Enriched Uranium Extracted From Nuclear Weapons
EndedClintonJanuary 18, 2001January 15, 2004TradeProhibiting the Importation of Rough Diamonds From Sierra Leone
BushJune 26, 2001SanctionsBlocking Property of Persons Who Threaten International Stabilization Efforts in the Western Balkans – intended to combat extremist Albanian insurgents operating in North Macedonia and limit obstruction of the Dayton Accords. Amended on May 28, 2003 following the Ohrid Agreement, signed in 2001.
BushAugust 17, 2001TradeContinuation of Export Control Regulations – reasserted presidential control of exports of "defense articles" following the expiration of the Export Administration Act of 1979 in 1994. Amended on March 8, 2013 to delegate authority provided by Section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act from the president to the Secretary of State.
BushSeptember 14, 2001MilitaryDeclaration of National Emergency by Reason of Certain Terrorist Attacks – the first of two national emergencies declared following the September 11 attacks, allowing the president to call troops from the National Guard or from retirement, to apportion military funding, to exercise more discretion over hiring military officers, and to promote more generals than previously allowed.
BushSeptember 23, 2001SanctionsBlocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism – the second of two national emergencies declared following the September 11 attacks, allowing the State and Treasury departments to designate entities as terrorists and apply economic sanctions. Due to the order's broad language, its scope has grown over the years to become one of the Treasury's "cornerstone sanctions programs" in fighting terrorism worldwide. Amended on July 2, 2002 to include the Taliban, and on January 23, 2003 to integrate the newly-created position of Secretary of Homeland Security into the order's process.
BushMarch 6, 2003SanctionsBlocking Property of Persons Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in Zimbabwe – imposed economic sanctions on Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe and 76 other government officials following years of rigged elections and a recent food shortage, echoing similar sanctions imposed the previous year by the European Union. Amended on November 22, 2005 to revise the EO's annex listing the individuals targeted with sanctions.
BushMay 22, 2003LegalProtecting the Development Fund for Iraq and Certain Other Property in Which Iraq Has an Interest – granted the Development Fund for Iraq, established the same day, legal protection in the wake of the invasion of Iraq and amidst the Iraq War.
BushMay 11, 2004SanctionsBlocking Property of Certain Persons and Prohibiting the Export of Certain Goods to Syria – imposed mostly symbolic economic sanctions on Syria, grounding all flights between the two countries, banning all exports to Syria but food and medicine, and freezing some Syrians' assets.
EndedBushJuly 22, 2004November 12, 2015SanctionsBlocking Property of Certain Persons and Prohibiting the Importation of Certain Goods from Liberia
EndedBushFebruary 7, 2006September 14, 2016SanctionsBlocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in Côte d'Ivoire
BushJune 16, 2006SanctionsBlocking Property of Certain Persons Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in Belarus – imposed sanctions, including a travel ban, on Alexander Lukashenko after Belarus's crackdown on peaceful protests against the recent presidential election and following similar sanctions by the European Union.
BushOctober 27, 2006SanctionsBlocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – imposed economic sanctions on DRC government officials amidst widespread violence taking place during runoffs for Congo's first free election in decades.
BushAugust 1, 2007SanctionsBlocking Property of Persons Undermining the Sovereignty of Lebanon or Its Democratic Processes and Institutions – imposed sanctions intended as a warning to Syria and Hezbollah, months after a similar travel ban, during widespread unrest in the country, and out of concern over rifts between prime minister Fouad Siniora and president Émile Lahoud.
BushJune 26, 2008SanctionsContinuing Certain Restrictions With Respect to North Korea and North Korean Nationals – retained "certain restrictions" on North Korea as the United States removed North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism and as North Korea publicly declared its nuclear program.
EndedObamaOctober 24, 2009October 23, 2010Public healthDeclaration of a National Emergency With Respect to the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic – empowered the secretary of Health and Human Services to issue waivers allowing overcrowded hospitals to move swine flu patients to satellite facilities or other hospitals.
Months before this national emergency was declared, on April 26, 2009 Obama's acting director of Health and Human Services declared H1N1 a public health emergency. Later on October 24, 2009, a second declaration was made by Obama to temporarily waive or modify certain requirements of the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children's Health Insurance programs and of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule.
ObamaApril 12, 2010SanctionsBlocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in Somalia – intended to help combat Somali pirates.
ObamaFebruary 25, 2011SanctionsBlocking Property and Prohibiting Certain Transactions Related to Libya – imposed sanctions on Muammar Gaddafi, his family, and Libyan officials after protestors were killed by government forces, including freezing assets and consideration of prosecution for war crimes.
ObamaJuly 24, 2011SanctionsBlocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations – levied sanctions against four criminal organizations—Los Zetas, the Brothers' Circle, the Yakuza, and the Camorra—including freezing assets, barring ownership of American real estate, and implementing travel bans.
ObamaMay 16, 2012SanctionsBlocking Property of Persons Threatening the Peace, Security, or Stability of Yemen – intended to counter unrest in Yemen in the aftermath of the Yemeni Revolution.
EndedObamaJune 25, 2012May 26, 2015SanctionsBlocking Property of the Government of the Russian Federation Relating to the Disposition of Highly Enriched Uranium Extracted From Nuclear Weapons – imposed sanctions on Russia over the disposal of highly enriched uranium.
ObamaMarch 6, 2014SanctionsBlocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Ukraine – imposed sanctions, including restricting visas, in concert with the European Union and the international community against Russia after its Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. Amended on March 16, 2014, March 20, 2014, and December 19, 2014 to expand the scope of sanctions.
ObamaApril 3, 2014SanctionsBlocking Property of Certain Persons With Respect to South Sudan – enabled economic sanctions to be placed due to the civil war in South Sudan; sanctions were first imposed a month later.
ObamaMay 12, 2014SanctionsBlocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in the Central African Republic – imposed sanctions against former Central African Republic president François Bozizé, following similar sanctions placed on Bozizé by the United Nations Security Council the previous week; also contains provisions against the use of child soldiers.
ObamaMarch 8, 2015SanctionsBlocking Property and Suspending Entry of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Venezuela – imposed sanctions on seven high-ranking Venezuelan government officials, including SEBIN director Gustavo Enrique González López, PNB director Manuel Perez, and CVG head Justo Noguero.
ObamaApril 1, 2015SanctionsBlocking the Property of Certain Persons Engaging in Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities – intended to allow sanctions to be levied on foreign individuals determined by the Department of the Treasury to have engaged in cyber-crime or cyber-terrorism; was in the works for two years.
ObamaNovember 22, 2015SanctionsBlocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Burundi – imposed sanctions on four Burundi nationals—minister of public security Alain Guillaume Bunyoni, National Police of Burundi deputy director-general Godefroid Bizimana, Godefroid Niyombare, and Cyrille Ndayirukiye—in the wake of widespread unrest.
TrumpDecember 20, 2017SanctionsBlocking the Property of Persons Involved in Serious Human Rights Abuse or Corruption – imposed sanctions due to the Rohingya conflict in Myanmar, specifically against general Maung Maung Soe; works in tandem with the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
TrumpSeptember 12, 2018SanctionsImposing Certain Sanctions in the Event of Foreign Interference in a United States Election – intended to enable automatic sanctions in response to election interference; intelligence agencies are given 45 days after an election to assess any possible interference.
TrumpNovember 27, 2018SanctionsBlocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Nicaragua – announces certain sanctions against current and former Daniel Ortega government officials engaging in human rights abuse or corruption.
TrumpFebruary 15, 2019MilitaryDeclaring a National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States – seeks to divert $8 billion of funds, which were previously allocated to other programs, to build a wall on the southern border of the United States, which the order calls a "major entry point for criminals, gang members, and illicit narcotics" into the United States. This emergency declaration is the first since the passage of the National Emergencies Act in which the president sought to take funds for which Congress previously denied appropriation, and the first time both houses of Congress passed a resolution declaring the emergency terminated, sending it to the president for his signature.
TrumpMay 15, 2019SanctionsSecuring the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain – bans American companies from using any telecommunications equipment that the secretary of Commerce declares to be a national security risk.
Soon after the executive order was signed, the Bureau of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce announced that it will be adding Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd and 70 affiliates to its Entity List. The Department of Commerce alleged that Huawei was engaged in activities that are contrary to US national security or foreign policy interest. As a result, sale or transfer of American technology to a company or person on the Entity List requires a license issued by the BIS, and a license may be denied if the sale or transfer would harm US national security or foreign policy interests.
TrumpMarch 13, 2020Public healthDeclaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease Outbreak — On March 13, 2020, President Donald Trump declared that he would give the states and territories access to up to 50 billion dollars in federal funds to fight the coronavirus pandemic. This includes the ability to waive laws to enable tele-health. Stated by President Trump: "It gives remote doctor's visits and hospital check ins. The power to waive certain federal license requirements so the doctors from other states can provide services in states with the greatest need."
TrumpJune 11, 2020SanctionsBlocking Property of Certain Persons Associated with the International Criminal Court — Freezes property of persons directly engaged in, or materially supporting, any effort by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute US or US-allied personnel in connection with the War in Afghanistan; bars entry into the US by such directly engaged persons and their immediate families