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Border Trade Authorities Wary of Myanmar’s COVID-19 Second Wave

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ASEAN Beat | Economy | Southeast Asia

Border Trade Authorities Wary of Myanmar’s COVID-19 Second Wave

Since a recent spike in infections, border authorities in China and Thailand have tightened restrictions on trade with Myanmar.

Border Trade Authorities Wary of Myanmar’s COVID-19 Second Wave

The border between Ruili and Muse on the border between Myanmar’s Shan State and China’s Yunnan Province.

Credit: Flickr/ilmari hyvönen

Amid Myanmar’s COVID-19 second wave, the Chinese and Thai authorities have been unilaterally applying restrictive policies at major border gates. Of concern for the Myanmar side, the measures – which are mainly detrimental to its traders – have been imposed without consultation, pointing to a lack of trust in the country’s ability to contain its coronavirus outbreak. Moreover, while the spirit of the policies is to contain COVID-19, China’s policies in particular create business opportunities for Chinese traders and have protectionist undertones.

On October 11, the Chinese authorities unexpectedly tripled fees for substitute drivers at the Muse-Ruili border crossing. Muse, in northern Shan State, and Ruili in China’s Yunnan Province, are separated by the shallow Shweli River. The border point is Myanmar’s main gateway to China, accounting for 83 percent of its border trade with China, and almost half of the country’s total border trade.

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