In recent years, Myanmar has emerged as one of the major players in the promising rubber sector, benefiting from suitable soil and climate, historical know-how, a large supply of natural rubber from young rubber plantations and a young labour force at relatively competitive wage costs.
Sector facts
- With about 213,000 tons produced, Myanmar is the tenth largest rubber producer in the world, accounting for 1.5% of the global output.
- Export earnings from the sector more than doubled between 2014/15 and 2017/18 to reach $284 million in 2018.
- Rubber is mainly grown in Mon State (30%), Tanintharyi Region (21%), Kayin State (17%) and Shan State (11%) with a total acreage of 1.6 million acres.
Main export markets
Myanmar has a strong relationship with China and accounts for about 75% of the country's natural rubber exports. Other markets of significant importance include Malaysia, Japan and India, which account for 13%, 4% and 3% respectively of Myanmar's rubber exports.
Main export products
Myanmar's rubber exports consist almost exclusively of raw natural rubber, i.e. smoked sheets of natural rubber (46.8%), natural rubber in primary forms (25.2%), technical specified natural rubber (TSNR, 17.3%) and other forms (10.7%).
A growing sector
Between 2014 and 2018, the value of domestic exports increased by 81.2% to reach $229.8 million USD.
Nearly 30 countries
In 2018, Myanmar was exporting rubber to 27 different countries.
A major producer
Myanmar is the tenth largest rubber producer in the world, accounting for 1.5% of the global output.
