For over 40 years the U.S. Bureau of Mines has issued an annual summary of mining activity in Burma which is now available on-line. These useful reports include information about surveying, mapping, exploration, concession grants, mineral exports and imports and the operations of major mining companies, as well as a valuable five year tonnage table for all major mineral products. The reports cover a wide range of mine products including base metals, precious metals, non-metallic minerals and petroleum. Cement and steel products are also covered. The focus of these reports is on large-scale mining operations and they tend to leave out of consideration the activities of smaller national companies and the mining ?rushes? that occur from time to time, attracting the participation of thousands from around the country. There is little emphasis on the environmental concerns associated with mining activities in Burma. Burmese government reports provide the major sources for the information provided in these reports, but, particularly in recent years, they have also included information from the section on Burma (Myanmar) in the Mining Annual Review produced by the Journal of Mining. The reports are usually a year out-of-date by the time are made available on-line. According to Government statistics, the output of the mining sector contributed about 1.6% to Myanmar?s gross domestic product, which was estimated to be $14.2 billion in fiscal year 1998/99. In fiscal year 1998/99, the state-owned companies produced only 10.8% of the total output of the mining sector; the privately owned companies, 88.2%; and the cooperatives, 1%. As a result of substantial private domestic and foreign investment, the output of the mining sector registered an overall growth rate of 17% despite a significant decline in mine output of the state-owned enterprises owing to the lack of spare parts caused by the foreign exchange shortage and other factors. In fiscal year 1998/99, Myanmar?s total exports were estimated to be $1,134 million, of which export earnings from base metals and ores were only $2.5 million. Myanmar?s exports of gemstones were estimated to be $20 million. Exports of major mineral commodities included ores and concentrates of chromium, manganese, tin, tungsten, and zinc; refined metal of copper, lead, silver and tin; and crude and polished precious and semiprecious stones. Myanmar?s total imports were estimated to be $2,480 million, of which 11.6% was base metals and fabricated products; 2.3%, cement; 0.9%, fertilizer materials; and 0.7%, chemical elements and compounds. Additionally, Myanmar imported about 5 million barrels (Mbbl) of crude petroleum and 3.6 Mbbl of refined petroleum products, such as diesel fuel, with a total cost of more than $162 million. Most of Myanmar?s mineral trade was with Asian and European countries. The total number of employees in the mining industry declined from 132,00 in 1998 to 121,00 in 1999, which accounted for about 0.66% of Myanmar?s total employment.