[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
Discrepency in Burma's figures for (r)
- Subject: Discrepency in Burma's figures for (r)
- From: RangoonPost@xxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 19:41:00
Subject: Re: Discrepency in Burma's figures for trade with U.S.
It is good somebody is watching the data and information. Keep this as
proof for future situations.
RP
In a message dated 9/16/99 2:50:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
douglas.steele@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
<<
Re. Xinhua: Myanmar's bilateral trade with U.S. drops (September 14, 1999)
The official Burmese trade statistics reported by Xinhua (see text of
article below) are extraordinarily inaccurate. According to the regime, US
trade with Burma in fiscal year 1998-1999 (April 1998-March 1999) totalled
$73.37 million, with $37.41 million in exports to the US and $35.96 million
in imports from the US. The regime is grossly underreporting its exports to
the US and the actual figure is more than 400 per cent higher. The reasons
for the underreporting are probably a combination of the regime's worry that
their exports could be an easy target for US sanctions (especially garments)
and evasion of Burmese taxes by exporting companies.
According to the US Department of Commerce, which keeps data on all US
imports and exports, Burma exports to the US were $164 million in calendar
year 1998. From January through June of this year it has exported another
$92 million in products to the US. Burmese exports to the US have are
growing at rate of 25.55 per cent so far this year. In 1998, they were
42.38 per cent higher than the year before. Burmese exports to the US have
been surging steadily since at least 1996. Eighty five per cent of Burma's
exports to the US are garments.
The best source of information on Burma's bilateral trade with the US is the
US Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. Their East
Asia/Pacific bureau can be contacted at 202 482 3647. The data to look for
is the "US Annual General Imports from Burma" which is contained in the
Census Bureau's World Trade Atlas.
Here are the actual figures for Burma's imports to the US according to the
US Department of Commerce:
[Millions of US dollars]
1996 1997 1998 1999(Jan-June)
Total 108 115 164 92
%growth 42.38 25.55
By category
Knit apparel 48.50 57.27 84.74 51.9
Woven apparel 35.15 27.88 43.06 29.08
Precious stones 1.90 4.88 10.58 4.76
>>