Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand are coordinating efforts to introduce a cargo vessel liner to link their port cities in a bid to boost maritime trade between the three countries.

The planned route of the cargo liner is Chittagong (Bangladesh)-Yangon (Myanmar)-Ranong (Thailand), according to the Voice Journal, which quoted Bangladesh’s Ministry of Commerce.

With Yangon serving as a transit port, this will give rise to direct trade links between Chittagong and Ranong, between Yangon and Chittagong, and between Yangon and Ranong, says the report.

Once the liner is in place, cargo from Bangladesh to Thailand will no longer have to go via Singapore; the new route is expected to be faster.

Myanmar and Bangladesh are also negotiating to extend the sale of Myanmar marine products directly to Chittagong, while a trade zone is being set up in Myanmar’s western border town of Maungtaw, in Rakhine state, to facilitate the export of marine products from Myanmar to Bangladesh.

According to official statistics, Myanmar exports 23,000 tonnes of marine products to Bangladesh annually. It also exports pulses, beans and kitchen products. Imports from Bangladesh include pharmaceuticals, ceramics, cotton fabric, raw jute, kitchenware and cosmetics.

Bilateral trade between Myanmar and Bangladesh reached over US$ 60 million in the fiscal year 2005-06

June 12, 2007