A Myanmar‑based pharmaceutical company is seeking to establish a manufacturing plant in the Northern Mariana Islands under the CNMI Qualifying Certificate program, according to Commonwealth Economic Development Authority board member Mike Sablan.
The investor, operating locally as CNMI Investment LLC, submitted its QC application to the Commonwealth Development Authority during its most recent visit to Saipan. Sablan said the company’s original name is Pacific Pharmaceuticals, which operates manufacturing facilities in Myanmar and in Rancho Cucamonga, California.
Sablan said the company first learned about the CNMI’s business environment during a visit to Guam in previous years, when it was exploring potential sites for a regional manufacturing hub. He said the CNMI’s competitive advantages drew the company to Saipan.
Their first trip was a fact‑finding visit, during which CEDA introduced the investors to permitting agencies, shipping companies, and other regulatory offices. A second visit followed, where the company expressed stronger interest in establishing operations in the Commonwealth.
Sablan said the company made a third visit “a couple months ago,” during which it informed CEDA that it had decided to invest. The company hired a local consultant to assist with its QC application, which was submitted during that trip.
The company is initially planning to manufacture non‑prescription pharmaceutical products in the CNMI. Sablan said the company may expand into prescription‑drug production in the future as its operations grow.
He described the investment as significant but did not provide a specific figure.
Sablan said the project could position the CNMI as a new regional hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing, especially if the first facility proves successful.
The Qualifying Certificate program, created under the Investment Incentive Act of 2000 and administered by the Commonwealth Development Authority, is the CNMI’s primary investment‑incentive mechanism. A QC functions as a negotiated contract between the government and an investor, offering rebates or abatements on taxes such as the Northern Marianas Territorial Income Tax.
In exchange, investors must meet obligations that include capital investment, job creation, community contributions, annual reporting, and compliance with CNMI laws.
