Role of ICT and border trade in global supply chain: Case of Myanmar

The globalization has made each country play a role in the global supply chain. Even a less known country could be critical in this supply chain, if it is the provider of a very rare resource, such as rare metal. If such country is not properly linked as part of the global supply chain, it could have significant impact on the functioning of the entire downstream and distribution channels and markets. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the situation of Myanmar as part of the global supply chain in terms of border trade and use of contemporary Information and Computer Technologies (ICT). Myanmar´s border trade is even more significant when one takes into account the fact that it borders two of the fastest growing economies in the world - China and India. The status of border trade and how efficient it is in terms of use of ICT is investigated in this paper based on trade data and a survey of export and import oriented companies based in Myanmar.