According to the Myanmar Rice Federation, rice and broken rice exports through border trade channels drastically plummeted. Myanmar delivered more than 1.4 million metric tons of rice and broken rice in the past mini-budget period (October 2021-March 2022). Maritime trade performed the best with an export volume of over 1.3 million tonnes, while only 76,000 tonnes were sent to neighbouring countries via border.
Due to the virus strict policy, China restricted Myanmar trucks and drivers from entering its side through the Muse land border. Only Chinese short-haul service is available now to transport Myanmar goods to China through the Kyinsankyawt post. As a result, the cost of Chinese short-haul trucking tremendously rose to K10 million per truck, whereas the trucking was worth only K700,000-K800,000 when Myanmar truckers were allowed to enter China, rice traders stressed.
About 10,000 bags of rice and broken rice are daily delivered to China via the Muse cross-border post, whereas earlier, the export volume to China was approximately 60,000 bags per day. Consequently, exports of only 76,000 tonnes were seen in border trade in the past mini-budget period. China shut down all the checkpoints linking to the Muse border amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the checkpoints, Kyinsankyawt has resumed trading activities from 26 November on a trial run.
Myanmar daily delivers rubber, various beans and pulses, dried plum, watermelon, muskmelon, pumpkin and other food commodities to China through the Kyinsankyawt border. Myanmar exported rice to 13 foreign markets, mainly to Ivory Coast with over 400,000 tonnes, followed by China with 220,000 tonnes and the Philippines with over 130,000 tonnes. Similarly, Myanmar shipped broken rice to 10 countries, primarily to China with 210,000 tonnes, followed by the Netherlands 160,000 tonnes and Belgium 79,000 tonnes. Myanmar exported two million tonnes of rice worth US$700 million to the foreign trade partners in the 2020-2021 Financial Year.
Source: Global New Light of Myanmar