Mizoram border districts ban fuel exports to Myanmar

Mizoram’s southern districts of Siaha and Lunglei, which share borders with Myanmar, have restricted the movement and export of petroleum products to the neighbouring country, officials said on Wednesday.
The move follows concerns over potential fuel shortage triggered by supply uncertainties linked to the ongoing West Asia conflict, they said.
The administration of the two districts recently introduced the measures through separate orders to regulate distribution and curb illegal cross-border trade, they said.
In Siaha, Deputy Commissioner V L Hruaizela Khiangte issued an order, prohibiting the unauthorised export of fuel to Myanmar and other countries.
To prevent hoarding and black marketing, the order also restricts bulk sales.
Fuel outlets or filling stations in Siaha district must now regulate transactions, with sales exceeding 500 litres of petrol or 1,000 litres of diesel permitted only to entities holding valid storage licenses, the order said.
Similarly, Lunglei District Magistrate Navneet Mann banned the transportation of fuel intended for sale in Myanmar following reports of unauthorised movement across the international border.
Officials noted that transporting fuel without valid permits violates the Petroleum Rules, 2002.
The administration warned that violators face penal action under the Petroleum Act, 1934, alongside relevant BNSS provisions.
These restrictions coincide with heightened vigilance along Mizoram’s porous border with Myanmar.
Authorities are working to prevent the diversion of resources that could disrupt local availability, aiming to safeguard essential fuel supplies during a period of high volatility in global oil markets.
Private transporters and traders of Mizoram often illegally transport petrol and diesel to the neighbouring country. Six Mizoram districts share a 510-km-long border with Myanmar.