Northwest Horticultural Council
Export Manual
MYANMAR (formerly Burma)
Capital: NaypyidawPopulation: 55,623,000
Currency: Burmese kyat
Official Language(s): Burmese
I. CHEMICAL MAXIMUM RESIDUE LEVELS (MRLs)
Please click on the above link for a list of chemical MRLs.
II. CHEMICALS AND ADDITIVE INFORMATION
A. Chemical residue standards:
Myanmar follows ASEAN principles, which are typically in harmony with Codex standards.
B. Monitoring chemical residues:
Currently, Myanmar does not monitor for chemical residues. This is subject to change as Myanmar’s import requirements continue to evolve.
C. Restrictions on use of waxes:
None
III. ORGANIC FRUIT REGULATIONS
No information
IV. TARIFFS
A Tariff of 15% is assessed for apples, pears, and cherries.
V. NON-TARIFF BARRIERS
A. Labeling requirements:
Myanmar does not have specific labeling requirements for fresh fruit.
B. Licenses and quotas:
In respect to cherries, importers must obtain an import license from the Ministry of Commerce. Apples and Pears are exempt from such a license.
C. Currency Issues:
Some banks in Myanmar are prohibited from doing business with the U.S. An American bank may require that your firm obtain a license from the Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), even if doing business with a bank that is approved to conduct business with U.S. banks.
Those doing business in Myanmar should carefully consider how to conduct financial transactions with customers.
D. Pest and plant disease restrictions:
Myanmar’s specific pest and plant disease restrictions are unknown. However, according to the USDA APHIS export database, fruits and vegetables for consumption are required to obtain a phytosanitary certificate prior to shipment.
The government of Myanmar is requiring that a pest risk assessment (PRA) be conducted for imports of fresh fruits and vegetables, including apples, pears, and cherries. As such, the NHC recommends shippers work closely with importers to avoid problems with clearing shipments on arrival in-country.
An import certificate (unlike the import license but similar to what the U.S. calls an import permit) is needed for apples, pears, and cherries. An import certificate is provided by the Plant Protection Division of the Department of Agriculture to the importer.
Myanmar’s Department of Agriculture will not provide importers an import certificate for pears until it receives the requested PRA information. In effect, pears are prohibited from being imported.
Importers may obtain import certificates for apples and cherries for entry into the country until August 31, 2017. It is not clear what the requirements for importation will be after August of this year.
E. Other Requirements:
Myanmar’s Plant Protection Division requires importers of fresh fruits to provide a health certificate documenting that imported products are safe/fit for human consumption. U.S. shippers are exempt from this requirement through August 31, 2017. Following this date, a certificate from a third party like GlobalGAP or SQF that attests to a comprehensive food safety and quality management system will fulfill this requirement.
Unless approved, transactions by U.S. persons are not allowed if they deal in the interests of an entity or individual listed on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List. If an entity is 50 percent or more owned, whether individually or collectively, by one or more persons listed on the SDN List, doing business with that entity is forbidden regardless of whether or not the entity itself is listed on the SDN List. For more details, visit: https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Documents/licensing_guidance.pdf