Thai-Myanmar Border Trade Sees $100m Increase

Border trade between Myanmar and Thailand has reached $363 for the 2013-14 fiscal up until October, an increase of more than $100 million from the same period last year, according to a source from the Ministry of Commerce.
There are four border stations between Myanmar and Thailand Tharchilake-Mae Sai, Myawaddy-Mae Sot, Kaukthaung-Ranong and Htee Kee-Sunaron. The Htee-Kee-Sunaron was reopened in May this year, and has seen $32 million pass through in border trade.
At the border stations, an estimated $250 million is import, while more than $110 million is export, leaving Myanmar with a trade deficit of more than $140 million with Thailand.
Myanmar’s major border trade counterparts are China, Thailand, Bangladesh, India and Laos. Border trade with China is the highest, while India is second.
Myanmar has signed border trade agreements with all of its border trade partners and discussions are underway regarding developments such as border trade stations, industrial zones and economic zones, according to a relative source within the Ministry of Commerce.