Commerce Ministry maps 2026 export strategy; Middle East impact seen limited, trade posts open logistics war room
Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun chaired a strategy meeting with Thailand’s 58 overseas trade offices to assess global trade and set the 2026 export agenda. Officials said direct export impact from Middle East fighting is limited as the region accounts for 3.7% of Thai exports, while trade posts have set up a logistics “war room” and will intensify proactive market efforts.
The Ministry of Commerce held a meeting last week to draw up Thailand’s 2026 proactive international trade promotion plan, chaired by Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun together with directors of Thailand’s overseas trade promotion offices—commercial attachés in 58 offices across 43 economic areas worldwide—to take an in-depth look at global trade and set strategies to drive Thai exports.
Commercial attachés from the 58 offices discussed how fighting in the Middle East could affect Thai exports. The Department of International Trade Promotion said its assessment indicates the direct impact on exports is limited, as Thailand exports only 3.7% to the region, with key markets being the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.
Thailand has five trade promotion offices in the region—Tehran (Iran), Tel Aviv (Israel), Dubai (UAE), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Ankara (Türkiye)—all of which are closely monitoring developments.
The department has also set up a shipping and logistics “war room” to co-ordinate and provide timely assistance, and has prepared short-term measures to manage volatility.
For markets where activities can proceed, the focus will be on:
- Proactive trade promotion to expand opportunities for Thai goods and services, using food and agricultural products (high import demand), health products and health-related services, and digital technology/fintech as spearheads for market penetration.
- Proactive marketing, including participating in trade fairs and using online channels and e-commerce platforms.
- Business partnership building, including collaboration with supermarkets and Thai SELECT restaurants.
In the next phase, once the situation eases, the ministry will accelerate efforts to build Thai food branding, pursue co-operation and investment, and push forward negotiations—particularly the pending CEPA agreement with the UAE.
Overall, Thailand runs a trade deficit with the Middle East. In 2025, Thailand exported US$10.22 billion to the region, up 5%. Thailand mainly imports crude oil, gemstones, natural gas and fertiliser, while exporting automobiles, electrical appliances, gemstones, and agricultural and food products.
Suphajee said the world is facing high volatility, including geopolitical tensions, the Middle East war, trade policy uncertainty and a slowing global economy—meaning Thailand must monitor developments closely. Exports remain a key mechanism for driving Thailand’s economy, and in 2025 Thailand’s exports were worth more than 11.1 trillion baht.
Natthapong Senanarong, Director of the Trade Promotion Office in Tel Aviv, Israel, said that the conflict was initially expected to end within two weeks, but it is now predicted that the war will not be resolved easily.
Even so, daily life in the area is continuing with caution. People are still able to go out to shop and carry on as usual, thanks to the country’s strict and robust civil-defence system.
Israel has extensive public shelter coverage, with shelters spread roughly every 1-5 square kilometres, especially in Tel Aviv. Residents use a Home Front Command application linked to mobile operating systems, which provides advance warning about 1.5 to 2 minutes before missiles arrive, ensuring everyone knows exactly where to take shelter.
At present, Israel is able to intercept as many as 95% of missiles launched from Iran and Lebanon. As a result, the number of injuries and deaths is clearly lower than on the Iranian side, despite Israel’s smaller territory and the heavy volume of missile fire.
Regarding the safety of more than 70,000 Thais in Israel, most remain confident in Israeli safety measures. The latest figures from the embassy’s registration for evacuation show fewer than 100 people have registered, indicating that most Thais are choosing to remain, so long as they strictly follow official guidance.
He added that more than half of the images, videos and situation updates shared on social media are fake news, and urged the public to be cautious and verify information through reliable sources. Developments going forward will need to be monitored closely.
On the impact, Natthapong said the direct effect on Thai exports to the Middle East is limited, as the region accounts for only a small share of total trade value. The greater concern is the knock-on impact from surging energy prices and volatility in logistics costs, which would inevitably add pressure to the cost of living and production costs in Thailand.
For Thai products in the Israeli market, essential goods such as rice and food remain in high demand and are less affected than luxury items. Israel focuses on exporting intangible assets such as software and technology, and therefore still relies heavily on imports of consumer goods.
He said the key factor determining how severe the situation becomes is whether the war drags on beyond normal inventory reserve periods. If it does, businesses will be forced to adjust shipping routes and absorb progressively higher costs.
Total trade between Thailand and Israel is currently about US$1.2 billion per year, with Thai exports to Israel at around US$800 million per year. Thailand runs a trade surplus of roughly US$300-400 million per year.
