Myanmars new government sees agriculture as the major engine for growth, and has deep concerns about the negative impact of manufacturing development in the country, which has been heavily reliant on low wage labor and driven by FDI. The policy consensus seems to be that Myanmars agriculture, along with the countrys natural resource wealth and tourism potential, can drive and sustain economic growth. Yet, the country will find it difficult to join the ranks of middle-income countries without developing its manufacturing sector. Agriculture and energy exports can carry Myanmar for the next decade or so, but in the long run, it will be manufacturing and active participation in global trade that takes Myanmar further. Therefore, Myanmar needs to emphasize the promotion of manufacturing in its economic development plans, not just based on revealed comparative advantage, but as a strategic tool for structural transformation in the long term.