US Ag Exports to Myanmar Face 'Vast Uncertainties,' USDA Says
The February military coup in Myanmar has “crippled” the country’s logistics sector and delayed trade operations, leading to “vast uncertainties” for U.S. agricultural exports, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report released March 8. The…
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situation in Myanmar is “very fluid and is evolving rapidly,” the agency said. Almost all trade has faced disruptions since the coup and export and import documents are being “severely delayed.” The USDA said the Myanmar Port Authority is facing a lack of drivers and other logistics providers, and importers are seeing high fees because of the reduced staff at the ports to unload containers in a timely manner. The USDA said the country’s military created a “steering committee for trade facilitation” Feb. 20 to help trade flow better, allowing clearances for some containers this month. But companies using the military’s facilitation regime “risk being publicly shamed,” the USDA said, and U.S. products could face “reputational risks.” The agency said a variety of U.S. goods are either stuck at the port or on the water. “The situation remains fluid and uncertain, with concerns of both reputational risk and financial consequences of shipments during this period,” the report said.