Legal Framework Concerning the Entry of Foreign Labor into Mongolia to Be Refined www.montsame.mn

The Immigration Agency of Mongolia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Family, Labor, and Social Protection of Mongolia and the General Agency for Labor Welfare Services, organized a joint meeting on March 28, 2025. The meeting focused on discussing challenges related to the entry of foreign labor into Mongolia, streamlining the process of issuing work permits, and enhancing coordination between relevant organizations. 
Chairman of the Immigration Agency of Mongolia N. Uuganbayar emphasized that under the Government’s 14 mega projects aimed at economic expansion, there is a growing need for foreign experts and specialists to work in Mongolia. Mr. Uuganbayar also noted that the peak season for labor recruitment in various sectors linked to construction activities has begun, necessitating close and flexible cooperation between the organizations. 
Furthermore, the Head of the Immigration Agency highlighted, “To attract foreign investment and promote tourism, Mongolia introduced an e-visa system in 2021. However, as the issuance of tourist e-visas has increased, more enterprises and organizations have been found employing foreign nationals without obtaining the necessary permits from the relevant authorities. Over the past year, such violations have risen as companies seek to avoid job-related fees. This situation is partly due to the complex and time-consuming process of obtaining work and residency permits, as well as the high costs involved, leading some to misuse tourist visas for employment purposes.” 
To address these issues, the joint meeting has decided to refine the legal framework concerning the entry of foreign labor, explore the possibility of implementing a tiered job fee system, and integrate the preliminary work permits issued by the General Agency for Labor Welfare Services into the “Unified Visa, Registration, and Information Database.”

Mongolia Frees Coal Pricing www.insidemongolia.mn

In the past week, 2 significant regulatory changes occur at the Mining Products Exchange (MPE). These changes shift how the exchange operates, and expectations rise for further development in the coming years. Here is an overview of the recent changes and what lies ahead.
Regulatory Amendments
The recent updates to the MPE regulations align prices with market movements and introduce more flexibility in payment terms. The Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with the Mongolian Stock Exchange (MSE), is working on submitting a revised Exchange Law that incorporates these principles. The goal is to ensure these changes become part of the legal framework governing the exchange.
Hot Off the Press
Additionally, the Minister of Finance states that the products currently traded on the Mining Products Exchange are preparing for international markets, with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the works. This development could boost the MPE’s position in the global market if it materializes.
What Has Changed?
Previously, trading on the Mining Products Exchange occurs at fixed prices determined behind the scenes. However, the new framework allows trading at prices indexed to market movements. This change aligns the exchange with modern market practices, offering more flexibility for both buyers and sellers. Furthermore, buyers now have the option to trade the remaining coal within their contracts, adding further flexibility to the trading process.
How Is the Indexed Price Determined?
The indexed pricing mechanism involves a basket of price indices for products traded on the exchange. This includes the price of coal at Gantsmod Port, the coking coal price index for the domestic Chinese market, and the price of coking coal at Jintan Port. The use of multiple components ensures that the price is not solely dependent on one port but instead reflects the combined weight of various elements that affect the market.
For example, the price of Gantsmod coal holds a weight of 20% in the index for forward contracts. If the price of Gantsmod coal falls while prices at other ports remain high, the overall price does not decrease significantly, offering a buffer against price fluctuations.
Looking Ahead: The Future of MPE
In the next 2-3 years, the MSE plans to expand its offerings by introducing commodity trading on the S&P Platts platform, diversifying product offerings, and potentially allowing for dual trading on international exchanges. This move enhances the MPE's global integration and market accessibility. As coal prices, vital to Mongolia’s economy, fluctuate, there is a growing effort to stabilize and adjust the trading mechanisms accordingly. If brokers continue to engage with the MPE, the market finds its balance and return to stability.

Mongolia Growth Group Announces Renewal of Normal Course Issuer Bid www.stocktitan.net

Don’t Risk Your Future: The United States Cracks Down on Illegal Immigration www.mn.usembassy.gov

Thousands of Mongolians travel every year to the United States for vacation, work, or study. The U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar would like to share some tips to ensure you travel responsibly and avoid violating U.S. immigration laws, which could have serious consequences.
The Choice is Clear – Follow the Law
To make America safe, strong, and prosperous, President Trump is ensuring that U.S. immigration laws are followed. The risks of trying to illegally immigrate to the United States far outweigh any potential benefits. You could lose your ability to obtain a U.S. visa in the future, prevent your family members from getting visas, and affect the prospects of other Mongolians as well.
Overstaying a U.S. visa or misusing that visa to work illegally not only breaks U.S. laws, it also puts your safety and well-being in jeopardy. The penalties are serious: jail time, separation from your family, deportation, and permanent bans from re-entering the United States.
If you know someone who is in the United States illegally, the best thing you can do for them is encourage them to leave now before they are caught.
For everyone, the message is simple: Make the right choice, follow the law, and do not risk your safety, your family, or your future.
U.S. Visa Fraud Has Serious Consequences
The U.S. visa process is the most secure in the world. Yet, some people unwisely still try to cheat the system by using fake documents, lying on applications, misrepresenting their purpose of travel, or staying after their visa expires. These are examples of visa fraud, and it is a serious crime. If you break the law in this way, you will be punished, and you may never be allowed to enter the United States again.  Lying about your situation, misrepresenting your intentions for traveling to the U.S., hiding the presence of family members in the U.S., or other efforts to circumvent the lawful visa process will prevent you from getting a visa.  This will affect any application for a visa you make in the future as well.  Individuals who have always been honest during the visa process stand a substantially better chance of obtaining a visa for lawful travel to the U.S.
Working on a Tourist Visa is Illegal
Most Mongolians apply for B1/B2 tourist visas to the U.S.  It is illegal to work in the U.S. while on this kind of visa, even if you do not overstay your period of admittance.  This includes any type of gainful employment, whether working for friends or for an established business.  Paid employment of any type is not allowed while in the U.S. on a tourist visa.  It is important to travel to the U.S. only for lawful purposes.  If there is no U.S. visa that exists for the activity you wish to pursue in the U.S., then that activity is against U.S. law and you should not pursue such travel.
Overstaying your Visa Can Lead to Deportation
Staying longer than the time granted to you by Customs and Border Protection when you enter the U.S. is illegal and can lead to arrest, deportation, and permanent bans from the U.S.  Staying illegally can also affect your friends and family members who may wish to travel after you, preventing them from obtaining visas.  Your actions can have consequences beyond yourself.
President Trump is Holding Everyone Accountable
The United States government is taking action against those who help others enter the country illegally. This includes smugglers, human traffickers and even foreign government officials who allow illegal immigration to continue.
Recently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a new visa restriction policy for foreign officials – including immigration, customs, and port authority staff – who fail to help stop illegal immigration. This builds on similar existing restrictions for those in the transportation and tourism industries. Those who threaten U.S. security by facilitating illegal immigration are not welcome in our country.
Travel Responsibly
Travel responsibly to the U.S. by knowing the rules before you go and following them throughout your travels.  Obeying U.S. immigration law, being honest in your applications, and returning promptly to Mongolia are the best ways to ensure good outcomes for yourself, your family, and your fellow Mongolians.

Mongolia in $500 Million Debt Offering and Concurrent Tender Offer www.clearygottlieb.com

Cleary Gottlieb represented the government of Mongolia in a Rule 144A/Reg S offering of $500 million 6.625% bonds due 2030 and its concurrent tender offer for its outstanding dollar-denominated 5.125% bonds due 2026 and 8.65% bonds due 2028.
Crédit Agricole CIB, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, and J.P. Morgan were joint bookrunners and dealer managers for the transactions. The transactions closed on February 25, 2025, and the new bonds were listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange.
The issuance allowed Mongolia to refinance a portion of its debt maturing in 2026 and 2028 and extend the maturity profile of a portion of its indebtedness.

Rio Tinto and University of Queensland Launch Oyu Tolgoi Training Programme www.discoveryalert.com.au

Emeelt Eco-Industrial Park to Enhance the Value of Livestock-Derived Raw Materials www.montsame.mn

The Emeelt Eco-Industrial Park, one of Ulaanbaatar City's 24 mega projects for urban development, will be built on a 539-hectare site in the Shar Khuviin Khooloi area, located 30 kilometers from the downtown Ulaanbaatar City within the 13th khoroo of Khan-Uul district.
The Project will include the construction of a 24 MW thermal power plant, a Wastewater Treatment Plant with a capacity of 6,700 cubic meters per day, 12.5 kilometers of paved roads, flood protection structures, two water reservoirs, and engineering infrastructure networks. The Park will be jointly funded by the State Budget of Mongolia, the Ulaanbaatar City Budget, and foreign aid. 
Currently, a four-story Business Incubator, Training and Production Center of the Park has been completed and commissioned. Preparations are underway to relocate leather and wool processing factories to the Park, with enterprises currently formalizing land-use agreements.  
The relocation and concentration of leather and wool processing factories within the Emeelt Eco-Industrial Park are expected to contribute to the ecological restoration of the Tuul River Basin, which has been contaminated over the years. Additionally, the Project is expected to generate approximately 5,600 permanent jobs. 
Another key benefit of the Project is its potential to increase the value of livestock-derived raw materials and integrate them more effectively into the national economy. Moreover, since the Park is envisioned to function as a core part of the Argalant-Emeelt satellite city’s special economic zone, it will create favorable conditions for people to live and work in the surrounding area.

Parliament of Mongolia Ratifies Cooperation Agreement with China on Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Cross-Border Railway www.montsame.mn

At its session on March 27, 2025, the State Great Khural of Mongolia approved the Law on Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of Mongolia and the Government of the People's Republic of China on Cooperation in the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Cross-Border Railway, Coal Trade, and Expanding the Capacity of the Tavan Tolgoi Coal Mine.
The draft Law was introduced by Member of Parliament and Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of Mongolia Tuvaan Tsevegdorj. The Parliament of Mongolia approved Resolution No. 68 “On some measures related to the construction of the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Cross-Border Railway” in 2023, and Resolution No. 58 “On approving the basic guidelines for establishing an Agreement between the Government of Mongolia and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Construction of the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Cross-Border Railway” on December 27, 2024.
Furthermore, by the Law on International Treaties, the Government of Mongolia discussed the draft Agreement. On January 27, 2025, the Standing Committee on Economics and the Standing Committee on Security and Foreign Policy of the Parliament discussed the draft Agreement and authorized the Government to sign the Agreement. The Agreement between the Government of Mongolia and the Government of the People's Republic of China on Cooperation in the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Cross-Border Railway, Coal Trade, and Expanding the Capacity of the Tavan Tolgoi Coal Mine was signed in Harbin, China, on February 14, 2025, in accordance with Resolution No. 58 of the State Great Khural, noted Minister Tuvaan Tsevegdorj.
At a joint meeting of the Mongolian and Chinese working groups, the two sides agreed to finalize documents at three levels. The Chinese side proposed discussing the draft agreements, while the Mongolian side emphasized that concluding the Intergovernmental Agreement would establish the legal framework for further discussions. Regarding the agreements to be concluded, the Mongolian side presented several proposals to the Chinese side, including the following:
-Adhering to its own standards and regulations for the railway gauge and transporting third-party cargo once the railway is operational,
-Carrying out the railway construction with a unified design and a single contractor,
-Setting the base price according to the most recently confirmed rate.
The Chinese side accepted the first proposal — to adhere to its own standards and regulations for the railway gauge — and suggested setting the initial coal price at the "most competitive price for a long-term contract." However, it did not agree to the second proposal of having the construction work carried out by a single contractor. Therefore, in accordance with the Law on Procurement of Goods, Works, and Services with State and Local Property, we are working to ensure that the State Procurement Agency announces the bid for selecting the construction contractor in the near future, Minister Tuvaan emphasized.
Minister Ts. Tuvaan introduced the Agreement between the Government of Mongolia and the Government of the People's Republic of China on Cooperation in the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Cross-Border Railway, Coal Trade, and Expanding the Capacity of the Tavan Tolgoi Coal Mine, emphasizing that it will enable the connection of three additional Mongolian-Chinese ports by rail. This development is expected to increase Mongolia's coal mining and export volumes, accelerate the implementation of the Law on Mongolia's Sovereign Wealth Fund, and ensure the equitable distribution of mineral resource revenues to both present and future generations of Mongolia, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Tuvaan highlighted.

Revised Exchange Trading Regulations Introduced to Mining Sector Stakeholders www.montsame.mn

On March 27, 2025, representatives from over 70 mining product sellers, buyers, member brokers, accredited transport companies of the exchange, and laboratories attended a meeting aimed at informing stakeholders about the recent amendments to the Exchange Trading Regulations.
The Working Group responsible for intensifying mining product exports in the short term and increasing foreign exchange reserves has identified the causes of the decline in exchange-based trading and made initial amendments to the Exchange Trading Regulations. At the meeting, stakeholders were provided with information on the newly approved amendments.
In his opening remarks, Minister of Finance Javkhlan Bold noted, “Rather than viewing the decline in mining product prices and the current risks as difficulties, we must see them as challenges that we can overcome together. Mongolian coal is of high quality and has a geographical advantage, which gives us a competitive edge in the global market. We view the current situation as a temporary downturn. Recently, exchange operations within the mining sector have notably developed. Regardless of fluctuations in coal prices, exchange operations must not be disrupted. Although the Exchange has been transformed into a stock company, maximizing short-term profits is not the ultimate goal. We must evaluate the successes and shortcomings of exchange trading and determine the way forward.
We are currently working on amendments to the Law on Mining Exchange, which will soon be submitted to the State Great Khural. Until the draft law is discussed and approved, the revised regulations will remain in effect. According to the regulations, coal prices will be indexed, and the final transportation point will be determined by the Government. The updated regulations must be fully incorporated into the upcoming Law. Coal exports will not retreat from exchange trading, and we are committed to further improving the legal framework.”
Participants in the meeting expressed their commitment to actively cooperating in the implementation of the new regulations aimed at revitalizing mining product trading, while also acknowledging and understanding the temporary challenges facing the sector.

Travel to UB’s green zones restricted due to possible fire outbreaks www.ubpost.mn

The capital city’s forested areas are classified as “Dangerous” in terms of fire risk, placing them in the second-highest risk zone. This classification underscores the serious fire hazards in these areas, particularly during dry seasons.
In recent years, cases of fire in the green zones and suburban areas of the capital city have resulted in considerable damage. In 2024 alone, 83 cases of grass fires were reported, leading to the destruction of homes, personal property, and farmland. These fires have caused significant financial losses to residents, and in some cases, they have led to health hazards and even posed life-threatening dangers to citizens.
To address the growing fire risk, the Government of Mongolia has implemented a comprehensive set of measures for 2025. These efforts are aimed at preventing and combating wildfires across the country. Following the issuance of official directives, such as the January order from the National Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Environment and Tourism’s order A/112, as well as the February order from the Ulaanbaatar Emergency Management Department, several proactive steps have been put in place.
As part of these efforts, the relevant authorities have coordinated fire patrols and inspections across four key areas, with a schedule that spans from March 20 to June 10 and again from September 20 to November 10. During these periods, travel within the capital city’s green zones has been restricted to minimize the risk of fire.
During the fire-prone seasons of spring and autumn, residents, businesses, and organizations are urged to take several important precautions. When visiting the green zones or suburban areas, individuals should inform environmental guardians about their activities and make sure to fill out a “Fire Safety Certificate” upon arrival. Open fires in forests or grasslands should be avoided at all costs, as they can quickly spread and cause massive destruction. Smoking or using lighters outdoors should also be refrained from, and any smoking materials, such as cigarette butts or matches, must be fully extinguished before disposal.
Additionally, vehicles and machinery should be equipped with spark arrestors on their exhaust pipes to prevent the risk of fire from sparks. Residents, homeowners, and businesses are advised to handle ashes and debris with care by placing them in specially designed containers with secure lids to prevent accidental fires. In the unfortunate event that a wildfire is spotted, it is crucial for individuals to ensure their own safety first and then immediately report the fire by calling 101, 105, or 7272-0303.
By following these critical safety measures, individuals can help reduce the risk of wildfires, protecting both lives and property. Local authorities are urging the public to stay vigilant and take a proactive approach to preventing such destructive events.