You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

August 25, 2022

Myanmar Indirectly Bans Exports of Value-Added Beans, Corn, and Sesame by Foreign Companies

Subscribe to Updates

On July 27, 2022, Myanmar’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) issued Newsletter No. 8/2022 to effectively ban foreign companies and foreign joint ventures from exporting value-added beans, corn, and sesame.

This newsletter repealed Newsletter No. 2/2020, which had prescribed the criteria for beans, corn, and sesame to be considered “value-added” crops. These criteria had to be fulfilled in order for these commodities to be exported in accordance with Notification No. 24/2019, which had permitted foreign companies and foreign joint ventures to purchase seven categories of commodities from local manufacturers for export, subject to certain terms and conditions. These include:

  • Meat and fish;
  • Value-added crops;
  • Pulp and paper;
  • Seeds;
  • Refined metals;
  • Semi-finished or finished valued-added fruit products; and
  • Timber-based furniture.

With the repeal of the conditions in Newsletter No. 2/2020, foreign exporters are left with no reference criteria for how to achieve “value-added” status for beans, corn, and sesame, and thus will not be able to submit a complete application for the necessary export license. However, exportation of the other items in the list above remains unaffected and open to foreign exporters who meet the applicable requirements.

The MOC explained their decision to revoke the permitted criteria by noting that some foreign companies were not actually producing beans, corn, and sesame that fulfilled the criteria for value-added status as laid out in Newsletter No. 2/2020, but were falsely exporting their goods as “value-added crops.” The revocation of the export criteria for beans, corn, and sesame took immediate effect.

For more details on these export restrictions, or on any aspect of importation and exportation regulations in Myanmar, please contact Tilleke & Gibbins at [email protected].

Related Professionals

Industries

Life Sciences

Practices

Customs and International Trade

Location

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

August 30, 2016
“Let food be your medicine” is a common mantra recited by those in the food business. In Thailand, many food products are fortified with nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids, and are marketed as offering a range of health benefits.
Read More
August 26, 2016
The Lao government has recently stepped up its efforts to raise public awareness of health issues and the quality of products sold in the market. The impetus behind the government’s actions is largely attributable to one main factor—in Laos, most products still do not have labeling in the Lao language to provide consumers with information about the product, despite this being a requirement. In the past, the government generally turned a blind eye to this shortcoming in consumer protection, but this is now set to change.Regulatory Framework
Read More
August 26, 2016
The National Assembly of Vietnam adopted a new Law on Pharmacy on June 4, 2016. The new law will take effect on January 1, 2017, replacing the current version which was passed in 2005. In an effort to update certain aspects of Vietnam’s legal framework to be more in line with international practices, the new pharmaceutical law is expected to provide quicker access to drugs for patients, increased consumer protection, and more incentives for local manufacturing of drugs.Removing the Five-Year Rule for Clinical Trials
Read More