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Myanmar-Thailand border trade down by $61.49 mln as of 2 July

The value of Myanmar’s bilateral trade with the neighbouring country Thailand through land border has registered a decrease of US$61.49 million between 1 October and 2 July of the current financial year 2020-2021 as against a year-ago period, the statistics issued by the Ministry of Commerce indicated. The ministry reported that exports surpassed imports in trade with Thailand this year, with exports reaching over $2.2 billion and imports valued at over $971 million, totalling $3.179 billion. During the corresponding period of the past FY2019-2020, Myanmar-Thailand border trade touched a high of $3.241 billion. Following the COVID surge in Myanmar, some border posts are temporarily restricted, and at present, fruits and agricultural products such as cucumber, mango, tomato and vegetable, fishery products, building materials and other pharmaceutical-related goods and equipment can be traded.

During the last FY, Myanmar has increasingly exported corns to Thailand through the Myawady border. Myanmar’s corn exports to Thailand significantly soared to over 1.2 million tonnes through border posts between Myanmar and Thailand during the October and May period in the FY2019-2020, an official of the Ministry of Commerce said. There are seven border posts between Myanmar and Thailand, Tachilek, Myawady, Kawthoung, Hteekhee, Myeik, Mawtaung and Maisai. Except for Tachilek and Myawady, the remaining border posts showed a decrease in the trade this FY. The value of border trade stood at $204 million via Tachilek, $1.35 billion via Myawady, $245 million via Kawthoung, $95.79 million via Myeik, $1.2 billion via Hteekhee and $12.3 million via Mawtaung.

Maisai border post has not witnessed any trade yet. At present, Myanmar exports corn to Thailand through Myawady and Tachilek land border. Only Tachilek and Myawady showed an increase in trade, while the remaining indicated a drop in trade as against last year. Additionally, exports of natural gas from the Taninthayi Region contributed to the enormous increase in border trade with Thailand in the previous years. This year, gas exports via the Hteekhee border drastically fell. Myanmar primarily exports natural gas, fishery products, coal, tin concentrate (SN 71.58 per cent), coconut (fresh and dry), beans, and bamboo shoots to Thailand. It imports capital goods such as machinery, raw industrial goods such as cement and fertilizers, consumer goods such as cosmetics and food products from the neighbouring country. 

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

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