The value of trade through the Myawady border with neighbouring Thailand reached US$61.799 million between 1 and 15 September, comprising exports worth $9.657 million and imports worth $52.142 million, as per the Ministry of Commerce’s news release.
Myanmar primarily exports onion, chilli pepper, clothes manufactured on a CMP basis, cabbage, dried areca nut, peanut, swim bladder of carp, clams, eel and fish and lead to Thailand via the Myawady border between 9 and 15 September. Meanwhile, garment raw materials, consumer goods, construction materials, fruits and food products, plastic raw materials, machines and equipment, feedstuffs, motorcycle and parts, stationery, lubricant, paints, electronic devices, cosmetics, household items, fertilizer, vehicles and auto parts, dried battery cells, pharmaceuticals, iron and steel and other paper products were imported.
The authorities prioritize perishable goods such as fisheries products and green commodities (onions and chilli pepper) in issuing a licence and screening the goods at the Muse border.
Thanks to the continuous efforts of the Department of Road and the supervision of the Kayin State government, a bailey bridge was constructed on the landslide-hit road section. Myawady-Kawkareik Asian Highway has reopened to a single lane from 15 August, allowing six-wheel trucks to drive in the lane. Trucks loaded with export/import goods got road access.
Myanmar conducts cross-border trade with Thailand via the Tachilek, Myawady, Kawthoung, Myeik, Hteekhee and Mawtaung border. Of them, the Hteekhee border performed the largest trade worth $1.49 billion over the past five months of the current financial year 2023-2024 beginning 1 April. The Myawady border ranked second with trade worth $705 million, the Ministry of Commerce’s statistics showed. — KK
