Daily Archives: December 4, 2021

Farmers say they are facing difficulties in transporting local agricultural products after the opening of a bridge checkpoint near Hlaing Wa village on the outskirts of Kawkareik to curb illegal trade in imports from the Myawaddy border to the local market. Min Thu, a private egg farmer in Myawaddy, said that the checkpoint at the Kawkareik checkpoint was not subject to strict checks on the illegal import of imported goods, but was restricted to the export of local products. “Yesterday, we left the Myawaddy area at around 900 am and were transported to Moulmein in a small vehicle,” he said. 

When we arrived at the checkpoint at Kawkareik Bridge, we were not allowed to cross the truck. Gate officials say local products will only be taxed with the approval of the local Department of Agriculture and trade taxes. Now it is not easy to transport local products from one city to another, ”said Min Thu. In Myawaddy Township, besides paddy, maize; beans , Watermelons are also cultivated by local people and transported to townships for local consumption.

A farmer said that although the Myawaddy border is said to be a checkpoint to control the flow of illegal border goods to increase legal trade volume, farmers are also facing difficulties as they control local agricultural products. A border trader from Myawaddy said, “To increase legal trade; Increasing state revenue is not enough just by opening checkpoints to curb illegal trade. “Traders need to get on the right track. If the tariffs are easy and cheap, all border traders will get on the right track.” Saw Myint Oo, chairman of the State Council, and members of the council opened a joint checkpoint on December 1 to crack down on illegal trade at the site of a broken bridge on the Thai-Burmese border trade route in Kawkareik.           

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar                              

Although Myanmar exported the watermelon to China, the market situation is still unknown, according to the fruit commodity depot. Currently, about 21 fruit loaded trucks reached in Wamding haven’t yet arrived at the fruit market. Consequently, the actual cost and price in China side are not identified yet. During the COVID-19 period, although the trucks were reached on the Chinese side through the border checkpoints, they should be stopped in the red zone for 24-hour quarantine, customs clearance in the yellow zone and re-tested and obtained COVID-19-free certificate in the F zone. Besides, the Chinese’s customs system has been transformed from a border trade system to a normal trade system.

It has been also reported that the export tax will be levied on the overseas shipping system which has been delayed due to the pending changes in China’scustoms system, according to the Khwanyo Fruit Warehouse. The traders head that cost of customs duty will be around 800- 1,000 yuan per tonne. The required documents and banking system need to be updated even with the normal trading system. Now, they are negotiating with the Chinese authorities. It will take time, said a trader from the Khwanyo Fruit Warehouse. Therefore, the watermelon growers and traders should only harvest after receiving and observation the information. Currently, there are about 500 fruit loaded trucks in Shwe Lwin Inn ground in Kyinsankyawt border checkpoints.

Thus, the fruits trucks reached in Muse 105 th mile are temporally stopped to transport Kyinsankyawt checkpoint, according to the fruit traders. The truck’s load of watermelon will be brought to China via Chinese trucks after they unload their goods in Myanmar. Last 26 September, the Kyinsankyawt border post between Myanmar and China has reopened on a trial run. Myanmar’s goods weighing five containers can be delivered to China then. On 27 November, two truckloads of watermelon were put into a container and sent to China. During the COVID-19 period, the transport charges are over one time higher than the previous rate, it is learnt. Transport charges were around K800,000 to one million, whereas it costs approximately K2 million for now. Traders cannot expect trade facilitation according to the changes in China’s policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. If the restrictions are eased and negotiation goes smooth, the trade will go back to normality.

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar