One of many towns of the Myanmar-China border, Bhamo, Myanmar has long been a hub for illegal trade with China, including illegally logged charcoal currently sold. Most of the charcoal is bound overland for brisk business with China, yet Bhamo still finds itself without enough money coming in. Bhamo has a long history of diversifying […]
Mandalay trader petitions for mining halt
August 18, 2016 by
A Mandalay trader is circulating a petition calling for an immediate but temporary halt to jade mining and a revamp of export procedures, warning the Mandalay market could be headed for disaster if business continues as usual. The petition will shortly be submitted to a Regional and Union-level officials, with its main backer hoping it […]
Over-Extraction, Chinese Slowdown Blamed for Jade Price Slump
June 21, 2016 by
RANGOON — With the government’s biannual gem emporium looming at the end of this month, prices for Burmese jade have continued to slide against weakening demand. Industry insiders have blamed an economic slowdown in China, over-extraction in jade mines, and market uncertainty linked to the transition of power to a democratically elected government in Burma. […]
The smuggled stone that was once more precious than gold
July 18, 2014 by
Myanmar, also known as Burma, is one of the world’s largest Jade producers – but with trade bound by international sanctions, many of the precious gemstones are smuggled out of the country. At first, I think it’s a waterfall. A wave of liquid sound comes towards me over the brackish waters of the Irrawaddy River. […]
China loan suspensions hurt Mandalay jade market
June 2, 2014 by
A recent change in policy by the Chinese government, to stop giving loans to jade merchants, has affected trade at the world-famous jade market in Mandalay frequented by Chinese jewellers and tourists. Sein Win, a jade merchant and chairman of the market’s Philanthropist Association, said the market has been quiet since the loan suspension was […]
Tycoon’s Plans for Putao Come under Scrutiny
November 28, 2013 by
MYITKYINA, Kachin State — Surrounded by Myanmar’s highest, snow-capped mountains, the remote and rugged Putao Valley in northern Kachin State is a place of stunning beauty and pristine mountain landscapes. This wilderness amid the Himalayan foothills is home to unique wildlife and vast forests, endangered Himalayan Yew trees and rare orchids, and even a small […]
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