Burma

In 2024, Burma was the world’s fourth-ranked producer of rare earths, accounting for 7.1% of global production; fifth-ranked producer of antimony, accounting for 3.8% of global production; and sixth-ranked producer of tin, accounting for 6.8% of global production. Other major mineral commodities produced in the country included barite, ferronickel, lead, manganese, nickel, tungsten, and zinc. Data on mineral production are in the Production table (formerly table 1). Production of mineral commodities in the mining sector contributed less than 1% to Burma’s gross domestic product. Burma exported rare earths to China and antimony to Thailand (Central Statistical Organization, 2025, p. 287; United Nations Statistics Division, 2025; Friedline, 2026; Johnston, 2026; Klochko, 2026). 

The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Burma is provided by the State-Owned Economic Enterprises Law of 1989, the Myanmar Mines Law of 1994 (as amended in 2015), the Myanmar Gemstones Law of 1995, the Mining Rules of 1996 (as amended in 2018), and the Investment Law of 2016. The Ministry of Natural Resources & Environmental Conservation oversees the mineral sector and grants mining permits. Mineral commodities were produced by a combination of domestic artisanal entities and joint enterprises operated by the Governments of Burma and China. The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities. More-extensive coverage of Government policies and programs can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports — International — Asia and the Pacific, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/asia-… (Htoon and Kean, 2018; Dick and Quek, 2019, p. 1–3; Chandler and Kyi, 2020; Chandler and Khin, 2021; Ministry of Natural Resources & Environmental Conservation, 2021). 

Commodity Review 

Antimony.—Extraction of antimony was from small-scale artisanal mining activity in Karen, Kayah, Mon, and Shan States. Burma exported 42,200 t of antimony ore in 2024 to Thailand, which accounted for 78% of Burma’s antimony exports. Burma’s reserves of antimony accounted for an estimated 7% of world reserves (Facilities table; Klochko, 2025; United Nations Statistics Division, 2025). 

Rare Earths.—Extraction of rare earths in Burma was concentrated in Kachin State, and was under the control of the Kachin Independence Organisation, which was seeking independence from the Government of Burma as part of the ongoing civil war, which began in 2021. Burma exported 27,000 t of rare earths (rare-earth-oxide equivalent) to China in 2024 (Poling, 2025; United Nations Statistics Division, 2025). 

Tin.—Tin production in Burma was estimated to be 20,000 metric tons (t) in 2024, which was a 42% decrease from 2023. A suspension of tin production in Wa Self-Administered Region was imposed in August 2024 for the purposes of a resource audit that was in effect as of end of 2024.. The Man Maw tin mine, which had an annual capacity of 25,000 t and accounted for a majority of tin production within the country, was subjected to the suspension. Authorities in the self-administered region had solicited applications for new mining permits for the mine, but as of yearend, the mine was assumed to remain inactive. Burma’s largest trading partners of tin were the Republic of Korea, which received 177 t of tin and articles thereof; and Japan, which received 90 t (Facilities table; Home 2025; Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026). 

• Central Statistical Organization, 2025, 2024 Myanmar statistical yearbook: Naypyidaw, Burma, Ministry of Planning and Finance, December 31, 677 p. (Accessed February 1, 2026, via https://www.csostat.gov.mm/PublicationAndRelease/StatisticalYearbook.) 

• Chandler, A.T., and Khin, C.K., 2021, Snapshot—Environmental regulations for mining activities in Myanmar: Yangon, Burma, Legal MHM Ltd., May 27. (Accessed September 30, 2025, at https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=adb7ebb7-8881-4b87-baba-…;

• Chandler, A.T., and Kyi, K.C., 2020, In brief—Mining rights and title in Myanmar: Yangon, Burma, Legal MHM Ltd., June 3. (Accessed September 30, 2025, at https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=7d9d1142-a658-461c-9f6c-…;

• Dick, J., and Ling, Y.Q., 2019, Myanmar mining guide: Yangon, Burma, Dentons Myanmar Ltd., March 26, 14 p. (Accessed December 11, 2024, at https://dentons.rodyk.com/en/pdf-pages/-/media/f7bbf133af8347359cb990a4….) 

• Friedline, C.A., 2026, Tin: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 194–195. 

• Htoon, K.L., and Kean, T., 2018, New mining rules ‘tinkering at the edges’, says MCRB: Yangon, Burma, Frontier Myanmar, March 12. (Accessed December 11, 2024, via https://frontiermyanmar.net/en/new-mining-rules-tinkering-at-the-edges-….) 

• Home, Andy, 2025, Tin market still beholden to the fortunes of Myanmar mine: London, United Kingdom, Thomson Reuters, September 5. (Accessed December 31, 2025, at https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/tin-market-still-beholden-f….) 

• Johnston, S.N., 2026, Rare earths: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 152–153. 

• Klochko, Kateryna, 2026, Antimony: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 42–43. 

• Ministry of Natural Resources & Environmental Conservation, 2021, Mining permits: Naypyidaw, Burma, Ministry of Natural Resources & Environmental Conservation, October 30. (Accessed December 16, 2024, at https://web.archive.org/web/20241216215450/https://www.mining.gov.mm/de….) [In Burmese.] 

• Poling, G.B., 2025, The dangerous allure of Myanmar’s rare earths: Washington, DC, Center for Strategic and International Studies, August 1. (Accessed September 30, 2025, at https://www.csis.org/analysis/dangerous-allure-myanmars-rare-earths.) 

• Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026, Trade data monitor: Geneva, Switzerland, Trade Data Monitor database. (Accessed March 25, 2026, at https://tradedatamonitor.com/.) 

• United Nations Statistics Division, 2025, UN Comtrade database: United Nations Statistics Division database. (Accessed September 30, 2025, via https://comtradeplus.un.org/.)