The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value global shipments from Myanmar during 2017. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Myanmar.

At the more detailed four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, Myanmar’s most valuable exported products are petroleum gases followed by dried leguminous vegetables, cane or beet sugar, men’s clothing then rice.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: US$3.3 billion (28.2% of total exports)
2. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $1.5 billion (12.7%)
3. Vegetables: $1.4 billion (12.2%)
4. Sugar, sugar confectionery: $1.1 billion (9.5%)
5. Cereals: $664.8 million (5.7%)
6. Fish: $537.9 million (4.6%)
7. Gems, precious metals: $425 million (3.6%)
8. Machinery including computers: $408 million (3.5%)
9. Oil seeds: $307.2 million (2.6%)
10. Copper: $262.6 million (2.2%)

Myanmar’s top 10 exports accounted for well over four-fifths (84.9%) of the overall value of its global shipments.

Machinery including computers was the fastest-growing among the top 10 export categories, up by 1,858% from 2016 to 2017.

In second place for improving export sales was sugar and sugar confectionery–a category that increased by 298%.

Myanmar’s exported unknitted and non-crocheted clothing and accessories posted the third-fastest gain appreciating 62.3%.

The leading decliner among the top 10 Myanma export categories was mineral fuels including oil, particularly for petroleum gases and crude oil. The other top 10 decliner was cereals via its -33.3% downturn, led by diminished international sales of rice and corn.

The following types of Myanma product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: US$1.52 billion (Down by -49.1% since 2016)
2. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $1.46 billion (Up by 67.5%)
3. Vegetables: $1.4 billion (Up by 3.8%)
4. Cereals: $640.1 million (Down by -34.3%)
5. Fish: $535.8 million (Up by 11.4%)
6. Gems, precious metals: $424.1 million (Down by -39%)
7. Oil seeds: $298.9 million (Up by 6%)
8. Copper: $243.6 million (Up by 16.1%)
9. Wood: $198.6 million (Up by 19.2%)
10. Fruits, nuts: $180 million (Up by 20.6%)

Myanmar has highly positive net exports in the international trade of clothing and accessories. In turn, these cashflows indicate Myanmar’s strong competitive advantages particularly under the clothing and accessories (not knit or crochet) product category.

Overall Myanmar incurred a -$4 billion trade deficit for 2017 down by -14.6% from the -$4.7 billion in red ink during 2016.

Below are exports from Myanmar that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Myanmar’s goods trail Myanma importer spending on foreign products.

1. Vehicles: -US$2.4 billion (Down by -6.9% since 2016)
2. Machinery including computers: -$1.2 billion (Down by -36.9%)
3. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$914.6 million (Down by -26.6%)
4. Iron, steel: -$739.1 million (Down by -12.6%)
5. Articles of iron or steel: -$565.4 million (Down by -15.9%)
6. Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: -$551.7 million (Down by -5.5%)
7. Plastics, plastic articles: -$551.4 million (Up by 9.1%)
8. Manmade staple fibers: -$426.4 million (Up by 96.3%)
9. Pharmaceuticals: -$343.9 million (Up by 18.9%)
10. Fertilizers: -$314.8 million (Up by 31.9%)

Myanmar has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits under the vehicles category notably trucks, motorcycles and cars.

Myanma Export Companies

Not one Myanma corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000 for 2016.

Wikipedia lists exports-related companies from Myanmar. Selected examples are shown below:

• Aeon Display and Security System (display and security systems)
• Asia World (conglomerate including imports/exports)
• Htoo Group of Companies (holding firm including wood exports)
• Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (oil, gas)
• Myanmar Distribution Group (consumer goods)
• Myint & Associates (industrial transportation)
• Red Link Communications (telecommunications)
• Shan Star (automobiles)