All timber production ceased after an explosive second wave of Covid-19 infections has shocked Myanmar. Cases have now topped 10,000 with 226 confirmed deaths. The Ministry of Health and Sports (MOHS) imposed strict ‘stay-at-home’ restrictions for Yangon from 24 September. Source: Tropical Timber Market Report
Only businesses involved in banking and financial services, petrol stations, food and cold storage, pharmaceuticals, purified water distribution and production of daily personal items have been exempted from the order.
As a result, all wood processing industries in the area covered by the lockdown have ceased production. It is difficult to assess the impact on the industry and exports.
The current lockdown will be reconsidered in October. If the lockdown is extended for a month the impact on the manufacturing sector and wood processors may be severe.
Myanmar’s official border trade with China has completely ceased as China has closed the Ruili crossing. Ruili is the main border town adjacent to Muse in Myanmar. Muse sees the busiest border trade with China which averaged around 4.57 billion kyats (US$3.5 million) per day before the pandemic.
Ruili, in China’s Yunnan Province, is under lockdown and all residents are to be tested for COVID-19 after two allegedly illegal immigrants from Myanmar tested positive.
Reports say about 400 trucks with goods from Myanmar are stranded in Muse and around 100 trucks are stuck in Jiegao between the border and Ruili so traders are searching for warehouses to temporarily store the goods.
