Chinese authorities to auction agricultural goods seized from Myanmar exporters

By Admin 10 Jun 2023

DMG Newsroom
10 June 2023, Sittwe

Chinese authorities have put off the date for auctioning off agricultural products seized from Myanmar exporters, according to Mandalay-based merchants.

China’s customs department detained Chinese traders at the border on May 24 for allegedly evading taxes. Over 10,000 tonnes of beans and pulses exported by Myanmar merchants and being kept in Wanding warehouses owned by Chinese businessmen were also confiscated.

Those exports belonged to 29 merchants from Mandalay and were worth around 30 billion kyats.

Chinese authorities said in late May that those goods would be auctioned off on June 6, but it later postponed the auction until the second week of June, said vice chairman U Kyaw Thwin of the Mandalay Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“Chinese authorities said the auction would be held on June 15 and 16. They have decided to auction off because beans and pulses will perish if they are kept in the warehouse for too long,” said U Kyaw Thwin.

Myanmar merchants said it was the first time their goods were confiscated in the history of beans and pulses exports to China. 

“We export a large volume of processed beans and pulses to China because prices are good. We began exporting beans and pulses to China in 1995, and we have never suffered losses. I am really depressed,” said Mandalay-based merchant U Zaw Khaing Myint, whose goods were confiscated. 

Myanmar merchants said they had paid taxes to the Commerce Ministry as well as Chinese authorities for the goods confiscated in Wanding.

Officials from the Mandalay Commodity Exchange and Mandalay Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry, meanwhile, have sent a request to the Chinese Consulate, asking the Chinese diplomatic mission to return the goods.

Chinese authorities are still investigating the origin of those goods, but have decided to auction them off to prevent them from perishing during the investigation.

“It was a misunderstanding. Chinese authorities arrested merchants for allegedly evading taxes, and also confiscated goods from their warehouses. Those goods do not belong to Chinese merchants, but belong to Myanmar traders. So, we have also sought assistance from the relevant ministry,” said U Win Htay, chairman of the Mandalay Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Myanmar agricultural produce and fisheries products are exported to China daily through Wanding.

Last year, Chinese authorities closed the border and barred trading, citing Covid-19 prevention efforts in Ruili, a frontier town on the Myanmar-China border. The closure had serious impacts on Myanmar traders.