Border trade remains normal despite rising cases of COVID-19 in China

U Min Thein, Vice-Chairman of the Muse Rice Commodity Exchange, said that despite the lockdown due to the detection of COVID-19 infection in China, there is no impact on border trade and it goes normally.
In August, border trade was temporarily suspended over the COVID-19 infection on the Sino- Myanmar border.
“At the Myanmar border, a Covid-19 case was detected. Now, It’s over. The border posts have never been closed. It’s going as usual,” U Min Thein said.
Currently, the Kyinsankyawt route at the Muse border trade station, which is important for China-Myanmar border trade, is operating normally, with about 50 trucks going from the Myanmar side and around 30 trucks entering from the Chinese side.
Residents at the border said that the price of exchanging Chinese yuan and Myanmar kyats at the border has risen.
Because of the rising Chinese yuan price, only around 30 Chinese trucks are entering Myanmar, and traders say that the entry of trucks is higher as it is profitable for Myanmar exporters.
U Min Thein said that rice, broken rice, rubber, food products, dried chillies, dried betel nuts, aquatic products, crabs, and eels are being exported, and goods such as construction materials, electrical equipment, and medicines are being imported.
In Myanmar, the domestic transmission of COVID-19 is increasing, and the latest strain of COVID-19 has been detected, according to the Ministry of Health.
China has alternately opened and closed border trade over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected trade.—TPT/GNLM