For over 40 years the U.S. Bureau of Mines has issued an annual summary of mining activity in Burma which is now available on-line. These useful reports include information about surveying, mapping, exploration, concession grants, mineral exports and imports and the operations of major mining companies, as well as a valuable five year tonnage table for all major mineral products. The reports cover a wide range of mine products including base metals, precious metals, non-metallic minerals and petroleum. Cement and steel products are also covered. The focus of these reports is on large-scale mining operations and they tend to leave out of consideration the activities of smaller national companies and the mining ?rushes? that occur from time to time, attracting the participation of thousands from around the country. There is little emphasis on the environmental concerns associated with mining activities in Burma. Burmese government reports provide the major sources for the information provided in these reports, but, particularly in recent years, they have also included information from the section on Burma (Myanmar) in the Mining Annual Review produced by the Journal of Mining. The reports are usually a year out-of-date by the time are made available on-line. In 1998, most mineral production remained at low level owing to the lack of spare parts, outdated technology, and declining ore grades. Myanmar became a producer of refined copper in 1998 with the help of foreign capital and technology. According to Government statistics, the output of the mining sector contributed about 1.3% to Myanmar?s gross domestic product. Of the total output of the mining sector, 52% was produced by the state-owned companies; 47%, by privately owned companies; and 1%, by cooperatives (Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, 1997). Mineral commodities exports accounted for about 6% of the total export earnings and mineral commodities imports accounted for about 22% of total imports. Exports of major mineral commodities included ores and concentrates of chromium, copper, manganese, tin, tungsten, and zinc; refined metal of copper, lead, and silver; and crude and polished precious and semiprecious stones. Imports of mineral commodities included cement, refined petroleum products, base metals, and steel mill products. Most of Myanmar?s mineral trade was with Asian and European countries. Mineral trade with the United States was small and limited to imports of various chemical compounds and exports of gemstones to the United States. Myanmar?s exports of gemstones earned about $23 million in 1998.