Myanmar

With Myanmar continuously liberalising the regulatory and supervisory landscape, new opportunities arise not only for cross land-border trade and investment, most notably with China and India which share borders with Myanmar and have the highest populations in the world, but also for regional and international trade.

Although Myanmar became a member of the World Customs Organization (WCO) in 1991 and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995, only its more recent economic opening is starting to create some real opportunities for businesses and allowing businesses to reap benefits from its membership of those organisations.

In line with the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), Myanmar has implemented an online customs clearance system: the Myanmar Automated Cargo Clearance System (MACCS). This was introduced in 2016. The MACCS has been implemented in both the Seaport and Airport of Yangon and in Myawaddy (Kayin State) at the Thai-Myanmar border.

Myanmar is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Consequently, it is also a party to various Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) that have been concluded between ASEAN as a bloc and third party countries and territories. Increasingly Myanmar businesses are utilising these FTAs, either inbound (utilising preferential duty rates) or outbound (obtaining Myanmar origin certifications for preferential access to overseas markets) to grow and further expand their business operations.

The MACCS helps Myanmar achieve its ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) commitments, as Myanmar is required to implement ASEAN Single Window Access for faster import and export customs clearance.

Our services

Myanmar services include:

  • Import and export licensing — recommendations, application support
  • Duty privileges support — opportunities identification and implementation support:
    • FTAs / preferential tariffs — monitoring, planning, trouble shooting, certificate of origin support
    • Bonded warehousing, and other duties deferment/suspension facilities — advise, evaluation and application support
    • Duty exemption under the Myanmar Investment Commission — best practice identification and monitoring process
  • Tariff classification – classification support of imported products and ruling application
  • Customs compliance reviews / "Health Checks" on past and current transactions for customs process improvements
  • Post importation audit management and support
  • Customs valuation — customs valuation planning, related party transactions and ruling application

Contact us

Ruben Zorge

Assistant Manager, Myanmar, PwC Asia Pacific Customs and Trade

Tel: +95 9 79064 8780

Follow PwC Asia Pacific Customs and Trade Practice