Enforcement of Import License Requirement Begins 1 July 2024

The Ministry of Commerce (“MOC”) recently issued Export and Import Bulletin No. 2/2024 to replace Export and Import Bulletin No. 16/2023 dated 21 December 2023, which specified 14 categories of goods that could be stored in a customs warehouse before the importer had obtained an import license from the MOC.

Bulletin No. 2/2024 reduces the number of categories of goods from 14 to four, as listed below:

• Medicine
• Various electric vehicles and accessories
• Industrial raw materials and industrial raw chemicals
• Food raw materials

Only goods listed in the attached HS Codes of the Bulletin No. 2/2024 are exempt from the requirement to obtain an import license in advance.

Moreover, the MOC issued Export and Import Bulletin No. 3/2024 on 30 May 2024 warning that importers who import goods without an import license will face legal action in accordance with the Export and Import Law 2012. Enforcement starts from 1 July 2024, and importers found to have imported goods before obtaining an import license will be subject to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years or a fine or both.

Therefore, we want to remind all importers to be sure to obtain an import license before their goods arrive at a Myanmar port or airport.

If you have any questions on the above or need assistance in obtaining an import license, contact Ms. Naw Moo Pwe at [email protected] or your usual VDB Loi adviser.