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Description: "In the first visit by a Chinese government official to Naypyitaw since last month’s ceasefire between the regime and the Brotherhood Alliance of ethnic armed organizations, Yunnan Province Governor Wang Yubo met junta leader Min Aung Hlaing on Tuesday. Wang, who is also the Chinese Communist Party’s deputy committee secretary for Yunnan Province, discussed the possibility of restoring border trade and the flow of goods between Myanmar and Yunnan. The anti-regime offensive known as Operation 1027 has disrupted Myanmar’s vital border trade routes with China. Border trade through Chin Shwe Haw, Muse, Pansai, Monekoe and Jinsanjiao has been halted. Amid pressure from China, the Brotherhood Alliance held talks with the regime and agreed a ceasefire on Jan. 11. As part of the truce, the two sides agreed to reopen vital Myanmar-China trade routes over which the joint ethnic armies have taken control. The alliance also agreed not to seize any more regime camps or towns in northern Shan State, while the junta agreed to refrain from conducting air strikes and shelling in the area. One month and 10 days after the fighting ceased in northern Shan State, the Yunnan governor came to ask Min Aung Hlaing to resume border trade. The two also discussed direct kyat-yuan payments, which they said would facilitate trade; construction of a railroad to promote bilateral trade; and cooperation in various sectors including agriculture, electricity and energy, according to junta media. On Sunday, Min Aung Hlaing attended a Chinese New Year celebration in Yangon with Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Chen Hai. At the event, Min Aung Hlaing called China a “good neighbor” and a “good friend” that had stood by Myanmar through successive periods. Min Aung Hlaing said he was deeply grateful to China and the Chinese people for taking the “correct position” on the international stage regarding the internal affairs of Myanmar. Wang also met junta Commerce Minister Htun Ohn and called for cooperation to ensure smooth trade between the two neighbors. With the exception of Muse, the Brotherhood Alliance has taken control of all border towns in northern Shan State crucial for border trade with China. Meanwhile, some towns along the Mandalay-Muse highway including Kutkai and Hsenwi are also now controlled by ethnic armed organizations, which levy taxes on cargo trucks in parallel to the junta’s taxation system—a problem that observers say is difficult to resolve..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
2024-02-21
Date of entry/update: 2024-02-21
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Description: "YANGON, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's agricultural export earnings decreased 1.25 percent to about 1.27 billion U.S. dollars year on year in the first four months of the present fiscal year (FY) 2022-2023, according to the Ministry of Commerce. The Southeast Asian country changed its fiscal year from the original October-September to April-March beginning this year. Despite the slight decline in agricultural export earnings, the country's total export value grew 26.71 percent to over 5.49 billion U.S. dollars year on year between April 1 and July 29 this year, official data showed. All the agricultural export during the period was done by the private sector alone, the commerce ministry's figures showed. Among Myanmar's agricultural products, rice is the most cultivated crop and also one of the top major agricultural products exported to foreign markets. According to the Myanmar Rice Federation, the country exported over 733,096 tons of rice and broken rice between April and July this year. Kyaw San Oo, a rice exporter from Mandalay, told Xinhua that the export of agricultural products including rice and broken rice this year declined because of many factors including changing financial rules and low rice yield. "This year's rice market is not as good as last year's because rice prices are rising in domestic market and the costs of exporting rice to other countries are high," he said. The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) in April ordered anyone in the country to compulsorily convert foreign currencies into kyats, but then gradually relaxed the conversion order. The latest relaxation of the conversion order was made on Aug. 5, allowing exporters to compulsorily convert only 65 percent of their export earnings into kyats, and the CBM also changed the reference exchange rate from 1,850 kyats to 2,100 kyats per U.S. dollar. Aung Kyaw Oo, a rice exporter from Yangon, told Xinhua that the latest moves of the central bank are better for the export market which was sluggish in recent months. "Currently, even the demand for rice is high in the market," he said, adding that the latest easing of currency conversion orders would help both exporters and importers smoothen their business activities. Low yield was one of the major factors that decreased Myanmar's agricultural export earnings during the period, and the country's authorities are working on producing high yields of crops. "The priority must be given to paddy cultivation so as to increase per-acre yield. It is necessary to encourage the manufacturing of products based on agriculture and livestock farms," Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, chairman of Myanmar's State Administration Council (SAC), said Tuesday. From April 1 to July 29 this year, Myanmar's total foreign trade was valued at over 11.02 billion U.S. dollars including the import value of over 5.52 billion U.S. dollars. Myanmar mainly exports agricultural, animal and marine products, minerals, forest products, manufacturing goods and others to its foreign trade partners including China, Thailand, Bangladesh and India, according to the commerce ministry..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua News Agency" (Beijing)
2022-08-11
Date of entry/update: 2022-08-11
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Description: "Myanmar's trade with foreign countries through border gates reached over 7.8 billion U.S. dollars as of June 12 in present fiscal year (FY) 2019-2020 which started in October, according to figures released by the Commerce Ministry on Wednesday. During the period, the country's export via border gates amounted to 5.42 billion U.S. dollars while its import shared 2.44 billion U.S. dollars. This fiscal year's border trade increased by over 236 million U.S. dollars, compared to the same period of last fiscal year 2018-2019 when it amounted to 7.63 billion U.S. dollars, the ministry's figures said. Muse topped the list of border checkpoints with the most trade value of 3.44 billion U.S. dollars, followed by Heekhee with 1.43 billion U.S. dollars. The country conducts border trade with neighboring China through Muse, Lweje, Kanpikete, Chinashwehaw and kengtung with Thailand via Tachilek, Myawady, Kawthoung, Myeik, Hteekhee, Mawtuang and Maese gates, with Bangladesh via Sittwe and Maungtaw and with India through Tamu and Reed border gates, respectively..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2020-06-24
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-24
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Description: "Myanmar's foreign trade reached over 24.5 billion U.S. dollars in the first eight months of the present fiscal year (FY) 2019-2020, according to figures released by the Commerce Ministry on Thursday. From Oct. 1, 2019 to May 22, 2020, the export value registered over 11.5 billion U.S. dollars while the import value was over 13 billion U.S. dollars. The country's trade deficit of present FY was over 1.52 billion U.S. dollars, up from over 874 million U.S. dollars compared to the corresponding period of the last FY. During the eight-month period of the current fiscal year, Myanmar's manufacturing goods were exported with value of over 5.98 billion U.S. dollars while over 5 billion U.S. dollars worth of capital goods were imported to the country, the ministry's figure showed. Myanmar's agricultural products, animal products, marine products minerals, forest products, manufacturing goods and others are exported while the country imports capital goods, intermediate goods and consumer goods. About 80 percent of the country's foreign trade is done through sea route and its border trade is conducted with neighboring China, Thailand, Bangladesh and India..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2020-06-04
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-04
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Description: "MYANMAR will resume rice exports from May at regular volumes of 150,000 tonnes. The Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) said 100,000 tonnes will be shipped overseas while the remaining 50,000 tonnes will be traded at the border. According to reports in the Myanmar Times, government estimates indicate that more than two million tonnes will be allocated for export in the current fiscal year. About 10 per cent will be retained as food reserves for Myanmar. A total of 112 companies will handle the maritime exports while 200 companies will be involved in the border trade for May. The MRF said about 60 per cent of the two million tonnes will consist of equal allocations from all the companies. The remaining volumes will consist of additional allocations from companies involved in contract farming and which made investments in mills or warehouses over the last three years. MRF is currently in negotiations with some Asean countries and for government-to-government export arrangements. Executive member of the MRF, U Soe Thun said the country has a rice surplus of between 2.5 million and three million tonnes and these are exported every year. The country exported about 2.5 million tonnes last year..."
Source/publisher: "New Straits Times" (Malaysia)
2020-05-01
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-01
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Topic: cattle, trade, Ministry of Commerce, exports, livestock, farming, Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Irrigation, China, taxation, corruption
Sub-title: Exports of animal products have risen dramatically since the government lifted a ban on the export of live cattle and buffalo in October 2017, but new regulations have taken some of the shine off the trade.
Topic: cattle, trade, Ministry of Commerce, exports, livestock, farming, Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Irrigation, China, taxation, corruption
Description: "CATTLE AND buffalo exporters enjoyed a profitable year in 2018, after the Ministry of Commerce lifted a ban on live exports the previous October, but regulations introduced in 2019 have taken the shine off the trade. The lifting of the ban saw more than 260 companies apply for export permits by mid-2019, of which more than 90 were approved, and exports of animal products rose from just $10.627 million in the 2016-17 fiscal year to $366.359 million in 2018-19, Ministry of Commerce data shows. China is the largest importer of cattle and buffaloes from Myanmar, followed by Thailand. But traders grumble about delays in issuing the licences they need to send livestock across borders and say the government could do more to support live exports by simplifying regulations. Other challenges facing the cattle export industry, say livestock specialists, include the need to upgrade the quality of livestock. Most of the nation’s cattle farms are in Mandalay, Sagaing and Magway regions. Many of the farms are small plots owned by traders, who do not breed livestock but buy on the domestic market and keep the animals until they can be exported at times of high demand. Support more independent journalism like this. Sign up to be a Frontier member. Frontier met cattle traders at Latpan village, in Mandalay Region’s Kyaukse Township, who said they were unhappy at not being able to get export licences in 2019..."
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Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
2020-02-14
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: Rohingya, Ruili, ethnicity, jade trade, borderland, social-symbolic order, human- nonhuman
Topic: Rohingya, Ruili, ethnicity, jade trade, borderland, social-symbolic order, human- nonhuman
Description: "This paper addresses two questions pertaining to ethnicity. First, how do ethnic identifications, alliances, and conflicts play out in social worlds hosting ingrained ethnic hostilities? Secondly, how can we theorize the role of non-human agents in human conceptions of ethnicity and constructions of social-symbolic orders? The discussion is based on events related by Noor; a Rohingya man, who works as a jade trader in the border-town of Ruili in China’s Yunnan province, opposite Myanmar’s Shan state. The paper describes Noor’s motivations for fleeing Myanmar, his experience of Buddhist-Muslim conflicts, his work as a jade trader, and his hobby as a fighting cock breeder. The final section discusses how Noor conceptualizes his ethnic identity and position in a wider social-symbolic order hosting antagonistic ethnic Others by making analogies between nonhuman agents and ethnic humans..."
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Source/publisher: "Department of Sociology, Lund University" (Lund)
2016-07-03
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar earned US$1.2 billion more from border trade within nine months of this fiscal year compared with the same period in last fiscal year despite lowered trade t the Muse border trade center, according to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce. Myanmar earned over US$8 billion from border trade within nine months from October 1 to June 28 in 2018-19 FY and it earned over US$6.730 billion from border trade in the same period. The export value was reduced over US$850 million from Muse border trade center within nine month of this fiscal year while the import value rose by over US$68 million from Muse border trade center. Myanmar earned US$3.8 billion from Muse border trade center within nine months of this fiscal year and it is less than over US$780 million compared with the same period in last fiscal year, according to the ministry. However, Myanmar earned over US$1.824 billion more from exports from Nabule/Htikhi border trade center in the same period in this fiscal year and over US$25 million more from imports in the same period, according to the ministry..."
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Source/publisher: "Eleven Media Group" (Myanmar)
2019-07-08
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar has officially permitted the use of the Chinese and Japanese currencies in cross-border payments, as the Asian giants vie for dominance in one of the region’s last frontier markets. The directive means that the yuan and yen join the euro, the US Dollar and the Singaporean dollar as designated currencies for settling international trade in Myanmar, where the central bank is desperate for foreign investment after years of economic sanctions and financial mismanagement. China, which shares a 2,200km (1,360-mile) border with Myanmar, has been keen to draw its southern neighbour into the “Belt and Road Initiative”, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s grand infrastructure plan for Eurasia. China is Myanmar’s biggest trading partner, with bilateral trade topping US$700 million last year, according to Myanmar’s Ministry of Commerce. Japan is also a big trade and investment partner, with Japanese companies maintaining a steady presence in the country since the end of British colonial rule in the 1940s, right through its economic isolation due to Western sanctions from 2003..."
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Source/publisher: "South China Morning Post" (Hong Kong)
2019-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-22
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Description: ''The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program was established in 2001 by Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal. Maldives and Sri Lanka followed in 2014, and Myanmar joined in February 2017. SASEC focuses on resolving various development constraints through regional cooperation among its members, thereby complementing shared national aspirations for inclusive and sustainable growth. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is the lead financier and supporter of SASEC and serves as its secretariat. SASEC is project oriented and currently prioritizes transport, trade facilitation, and energy. The SASEC Operational Plan 2016–2025 delineates the program’s priorities, including multisector economic corridor development and a pipeline of projects.1 Since 2001, SASEC has implemented 49 regional investment projects totaling around $11 billion. In April 2017, the SASEC Vision document—SASEC: Powering Asia in the 21st Century—was launched at the SASEC Finance Ministers Meeting in New Delhi, India.2 This document identifies regional and subregional opportunities to harness natural and human resources, industrial potential, and infrastructure connectivity through regional cooperation. Because Myanmar joined SASEC only 2 months before the vision document was launched, it was not included in the original version. This chapter, which was prepared in close consultation with the Government of Myanmar and the private sector, updates the SASEC Vision document...''
Source/publisher: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
2019-01-10
Date of entry/update: 2019-01-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Executive Summary: "In a country where there are constraints in formal practices, informal activities normally arise. Informal practices are not necessarily illegal and bad, however some of them tend to occupy a grey area and/or are illegal in accordance with local regulations. There are costs and benefits in minimizing these informal practices in a country. While constraints and restrictions still exist in the formal economy, any attempt to crush informal practices may realize more costs than benefits. Reduction of these constraints and restrictions in the formal economy may gradually erase informal practices in most cases. In Myanmar, informal practices in trade have been in existence for quite some time. The main purpose is not necessarily tax evasion, although the tax levied on exports (i.e. 10 per cent on the total export value) is considerably high. There are a number of reasons for involvement in informal practices and these include, among others: to avoid the lengthy licensing process to import products without having earnings from exports to import/export products that are restricted on a temporary or permanent basis to evade tax Since economic sanctions were first imposed by the West in 1997, and further stiffened in 2003 and 2007, cross-border trade has become more significant due to the fact that direct imports from and direct exports to the West have become much more difficult. As a result, Myanmar has relied more on its neighboring countries of China, Thailand, and India, to where most products are exported for consumption and also for re-export to the West. It is noted that the value of Myanmar?s exports to China, Thailand, and India accounts for 66 per cent of its total value of exports in 2007?08. In6 Winston Set Aung come generated from cross-border trade has also become one of the major sources of income for Myanmar, while income from other economic sectors such as foreign direct investment and tourism has diminished due to various factors that include economic sanctions. Since cross-border trade has become significant, trade through the border points with neighboring countries, especially China and Thailand, has become more active. While natural gas, timber, and agricultural products are the major commodities for cross-border trade with China, Thailand, and India, the most common commodities flowing both formally and informally through border points (especially with China and Thailand) are timber, gemstones, fishery products, electronics, agro-industrial products, and clothing. Some timber, gemstone, and fossil products are not authorized for export yet still flow through various unofficial border channels. These products are also exported through formal channels by sea or by air freight with licenses issued by the Ministry of Commerce following approval by ministries such as the Ministry of Forestry and the Ministry of Mines. Hence commodities fall into both formal and informal categories of cross-border trade. Although the value of border trade (according to official statistics) accounts for only 7 per cent of Myanmar?s total trade value, the actual value of border trade is likely to be much higher due to the value of undocumented trade that flows through borders, which reached over US$1 billion in 2006. If this undocumented trade were to be included in official statistics, the value of border trade would have accounted for around 25 per cent of Myanmar?s total value of trade in 2006. Although cross-border trade plays an important role in Myanmar?s economy, there are still various constraints such as an export-first policy, licensing system, and high tax related to exports in conducting formal trade. This has led to a situation where informal practices have expanded drastically, especially in border areas. Brokers have become more systematic by incorporating trading companies and specializing in several sets of products. Licenses for exports and imports are issued by the border trade authorities under the Ministry of Commerce, whereas broker trading companies apply for such licenses in advance for imports/exports of their specialized products. As a result, individuals or companies wanting to imThe Role of Informal Cross-border Trade in Myanmar 7 port/export can do so by purchasing the license acquired in advance by broker trading companies, or on their behalf at a fee (that includes a documentation fee) that varies depending on the market situation and seasonality. Through these practices, trade turnovers have increased, trade facilitation has improved tremendously, and job opportunities have opened up for more locals in border areas. In addition to broker trading companies, there is another type of informal player that is normally called a ?carrier.” These carriers are individuals who carry undocumented products, both legal and illegal, across borders and bypass all customs check-points within Myanmar until they reach their destinations. Although this type of activity seems to be a petty trade, the value and volume of such trade carried out by a considerable number of carriers could be high. These carriers mostly work under or together with broker trading companies. These informal players are local people from around the border areas (especially in the case of Kawthaung, which borders Ranong, Thailand) although a majority of them have migrated internally from city areas such as Yangon or Mandalay (especially in the case of Muse bordering Ruili, China, and in the case of Myawaddy bordering Maesod, Thailand). In the case of Muse, some operators of broker trading companies are related to those in Jiegao across the border, whereas the relationship of a majority of operators in Ranong (in the case of Kawthaung) is just that of a business partnership without having a formal contractual relationship. The increased flow of border trade both through formal and informal channels tends to have a positive effect on people around the border points. Interviews conducted in 2007 revealed that income levels amongst young men (under 21) have increased in line with improved formal and informal border trading operations. The chances of male respondents in the younger age category possessing increased incomes due to improved formal and informal border trade are high. Surveys and focus group discussions also highlighted that people around the borders have a positive view of increased border trade both through formal and informal channels and disagree with constraints, restrictions, and trade related policies that can be changed abruptly at any time. 8 Winston Set Aung The facilitating role of informal players is quite important in border areas, and any attempt to eliminate them could have an adverse effect on cross-border trade and people living around the borders. Existing trade policies should be tilted to incorporate measures favorable to the poor, so that border trade can not only contribute to economic development but also to poverty alleviation, opening up more opportunities for the ethnic minorities and disadvantaged in the border areas."
Creator/author: Winston Set Aung
Source/publisher: Institute for Security and Development Policy (Sweden)
2009-09-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-02-19
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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