Press Release
Launch of the Myanmar-EU Trade Helpdesk
at Myanmar Trade Promotion Organization, in Yangon
YANGON, Myanmar - We are very pleased to inform you that the Myanmar-EU Trade Helpdesk is established
with the purpose of promoting exports and trade flows in general between Myanmar and the EU, at Myanmar
Trade Promotion Organization on 27 May, in Yangon.
“The objective of this Myanmar EU Trade Helpdesk is to provide trade, economic and market information to
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Myanmar and at the same time to provide the information
about Myanmar market to the potential buyers and investors from EU,” said Mr. Aung Soe, Director General of
Myanmar Trade Promotion Organization (MYANTRADE).
“This helpdesk is mainly targeted for the SMEs that wish to know and to explore EU markets,” he continued.
The Trade Development Programme (TDP) is supporting the Myanmar Trade Promotion Organization to
operate the helpdesk in a sustainable way for the development of export markets for Myanmar products. All
visitors, local suppliers and buyers, can get trade information from this desk especially about market
information, export requirements, matchmaking and networking between EU enterprises and Myanmar SMEs.
Staff from MYANTRADE will be present at the desk to answer the queries and to provide the required
information for the visitors.
“The EU is a demanding market with many regulations on safety, health, or environmental issues, or ethical concerns, but
also with attractive pricing levels. If a company can make the effort to enter that market, then it can also enter other highend export markets. The Myanmar-EU Trade Helpdesk offers you the right starting point. We believe that this
information helpdesk will support the economic goal of Myanmar to triple the export volume in the coming five
years. Moreover, we are here to help Myanmar for its reintegration into the global market after many years of
isolation,” said Mr. Frits Ferdinand Hendriks, Team Leader of the Trade Development Programme (TDP).
“As you know, EU is the world’s largest economy and trading bloc. Trade promotion is an essential component
of the technical assistance the EU has been providing to Myanmar through the Trade Development Programme.
All imports to the EU from Myanmar are duty-free and quota-free, with the exception of armaments,” said Mr.
Lorenzo Pascotto, Programme Officer from the Delegation of the European Union to Myanmar.
The European Union Delegation will cooperate with this information corner to provide one stop information
service for exporting and importing the products between Myanmar and the EU market.
Preferential trade relations under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) between Myanmar and the EU
were restated in July 2013 and the export volume to the EU increased double in 2014. The top export products
to the EU market are agriculture products, aquaculture products, apparel and accessories, pearls and precious
stones and edible vegetable including beans.
In 2015, EU-Myanmar bilateral trade in goods reached over € 1.2 billion, a 38% increase compared to the
previous year 2014 and a 300% growth from 2012 (€ 404 million). Exports from Myanmar to the EU in 2015 (€
675 million) increased by 72% compared to 2014 (€ 392 million).
Project background
The Myanmar Trade Development Programme (TDP) is a three-year technical assistance programme with a
budget of 10.5 million Euro and is jointly supported by the EU and Germany and implemented by GIZ
(Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit).
The ultimate aim of TDP is to contribute to the enhancement of inclusive economic growth of Myanmar by
enabling the country to take advantage of its reintegration into the world trading system. TDP works in close
cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and other Ministries as well as the private sector.
The main components of TDP are:
(1) Trade Reform
(2) Trade Facilitation
(3) Food Safety and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards
(4) National Quality Infrastructure
Media Contact:
Ms Myat May Zin
Media and Communications Specialist
Email: [email protected]
Office: 01-385 327 (Ext: 207)
Mobile: 09-451308439