Myanmar’s US Rice Export Plan Questioned

The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s regime is seeking to revive exports of its premium paw hsan rice to the United States, but traders are casting doubt on whether the plan is workable.

Paw hsan, a fragrant variety that won global acclaim in 2011, is considered Myanmar’s finest rice. The Ministry of Commerce recently held talks with US firm Well Luck Co. and the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF), agreeing to send samples and prepare a trial shipment of around 22 to 24 tons.

Yet traders warn that scaling up exports will be difficult. Much of the prized Shwebo paw hsan is grown in Sagaing Region, now a conflict zone where farming has been disrupted.

“We have limited stocks… large‑scale exports won’t be possible unless farming activities return to normal,” one trader said.

Financial rules add further strain. Exporters must convert 25 per cent of foreign earnings into kyats at the official rate of 2,100 per US dollar, far below the market rate of 4,300. This, traders argue, erodes profits and discourages investment.

Rice prices have surged since the 2021 coup. Shwebo paw hsan, once 37,000 kyats per sack, now sells for 200,000 kyats. Despite MRF figures showing exports rising slightly to 2.74 million metric tons in 2025‑26, domestic shortages remain acute.

Myanmar last exported paw hsan rice to the US in 2013 and 2014, but shipments struggled to compete with cheaper Thai and Vietnamese varieties. Today, regime leader Min Aung Hlaing insists paw hsan exports could herald a “new era” for the sector.

For traders, however, conflict, currency controls and limited supply mean the US export plan may prove more symbolic than sustainable.

-2026-05-15