Maungdaw: Burma, which has lost out on the international shrimp market with the USA and European Union having imposed sanctions on the country because of its appalling human rights record, is now forced to export shrimps to neighbour Bangladesh at low rates.

“For the past several months, we could not export shrimps to Bangladesh. However, the problem is now somewhat resolved after negotiations between Bangladeshi and Burmese businessmen,” a businessman in Maungdaw said.

Shrimps from Burma are now being exported to Bangladesh through the Maungdaw border trade zone.

Shrimp export to Bangladesh from Burma was held up for several months because of myriad problems including currency exchange and customs imposed taxes. But the problem has been resolved now between the two countries.

“We have started exporting shrimps to Bangladesh but the price is very low. We have not made much profit. We do not want to export shrimp to Bangladesh but there is no alternative country to export the shrimps to,” he said.

Shrimps exported from Burma to Bangladesh, has to be of good quality.

Burmese shrimp businessmen export one kilogram of super shrimp to Bangladesh for Taka 570. Among others the No. 1 category shrimp is Taka 450 a kilogram while the No. 2 category shrimp is 320 per kilogram, according to business sources.

Shrimps from Burma are exported to Bangladesh in motor boats across the Naff River through the Teknaf border trade zone in Bondaw, five miles north of Teknaf.

Burmese businessmen have opened a combined fish and shrimps sales centre in Maungdaw from where shrimps are being exported to Bangladesh.

Last year the fish and shrimp sales centre in Maungdaw exported 100 tons of shrimp to Bangladesh, according to a report.

Bangladesh has made it mandatory that the shrimps from Burma have to be of standard quality and packaged well for export to international markets. Most of the shrimps from Bangladesh are exported to European markets and Middle East countries.