KIA-occupied Kanpaikti border gate to be relocated and opened at Swatbwan Company's cargo terminal by interim government

It has been learned that the interim government will relocate and open the Kanpaikti Myanmar-China border trade gate, which has been occupied by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and allied revolutionary forces for nearly two years, to the Swatbwan Company-owned cargo terminal located within the Mainna village tract in Wai Maw Township. The Swatbwan Company is situated 13 kilometers along the main road leading to Mainna village, Waypa village, and Washawng village, and covers an area of 5 acres, according to the interim government. Furthermore, the patron of the company is the current interim government's Kachin State Chief Minister, U Hket Htin Nan, and it is also a company that cultivates and produces tissue bananas in the Talo Gyi region. The interim government stated that the relocation is being carried out to recover taxes from border trade, eliminate illegal goods flow, and ensure that businesses operate systematically. The Kanpaikti border trade station is one of the second-largest main border gates in Kachin State for exporting other crops, including tissue bananas, to China. Before the coup, Myanmar exported tissue bananas, corn, watermelons, and rubber, while China imported cement, construction materials, electrical appliances, and household goods. However, the entire Kanpaikti town and border gate were completely attacked and occupied by the KIA and allied revolutionary forces in November 2024 and remain under full control on the ground to this day. As the KIA controls the Kanpaikti gate on the ground, and the interim government has attempted to collect taxes from an intermediary station, traders may face the difficulty of having to pay taxes to both organizations, and local commodity prices may rise further, according to traders. In addition, military analysts stated that as the military continues to attempt offensives with air and ground forces to regain control of the Kanpaikti route, the relocation and opening of a new cargo terminal within a military-controlled area like this could lead to the emergence of a military buffer zone. Photo – Ministry of Commerce – Old photo