Export Market Guide - Myanmar
This content is restricted to wine exporters and levy-payers. Some reports are available for purchase to non-levy payers/exporters.
Unless an exemption has been granted by Wine Australia, grape products exported from Australia must comply with the Food Standards Code. Accordingly, the labelling and wine standards information in Wine Australia’s Export Market Guides should be read in conjunction with Wine Australia’s Licensing and Compliance Guide which contains the requirements of the Food Standards Code and applicable exemptions.
Myanmar is in South-East Asia, bordering China, India, Thailand, Bangladesh, Laos and the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. Myanmar remains one of the poorest countries in South-East Asia with nearly a third of its population still living in poverty and one of the widest income gaps in the world. A number of reforms have been undertaken to improve business and trading conditions, but challenges still remain.
Myanmar joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1997 and is a member of its Economic Community. Australia and Myanmar are signatories to AANZFTA which entered into force in 2009. Myanmar is also party to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which was ratified by Australia in November 2021.
Since March 2015, wine can enter Myanmar by airfreight and sea freight but may not be enter through land border crossings. Importers must be licensed, hold contracts with foreign wine suppliers and obtain relevant permits and licences from multiple government agencies.
Myanmar has been identified as one of the 20 Markets of the Future by Euromonitor International that offers the most opportunities for consumer goods companies. The country remains one of the last few underdeveloped and untouched markets in the world which has made it increasingly attractive to foreign companies.
Regulatory environment
The Myanmar Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for the regulatory framework for food regulations established under the National Food Law 1997. Myanmar is in the process of adopting a new National Food Law, which it drafted with assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It is expected to be approved in 2020, however no further information was available at the time of this update. Other applicable laws include the Myanmar Merchandise Marks Act 1889 and the new Consumer Protection Law 2019, which repeals the Consumer Protection Law 2014.
The Ministry of Commerce issues import licences for most food products while the Department of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for the inspection and clearance of imported food at the border. Myanmar Customs Department administers the Sea and Land Customs Act, the Tariff Law and the Commercial Tax Law and is responsible for the collection of import duty and import procedures.