Thailand seeks expanded Russian urea quota at friendly prices
Thailand seeks to import 1–2 million tonnes of Russian urea annually at friendly prices, as both sides agree to form a joint task force to boost trade.
Suriya Jungrungreangkit, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, said he had met Dmitry Patrushev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, and Maxim Markovich, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, in Russia to discuss bilateral trade.
He said trade between Thailand and Russia has continued to expand in recent years, reaching around US$1.6 billion, although this still falls short of its full potential. Both sides agreed that agricultural and food trade could grow significantly further.
During the talks, Thailand expressed interest in importing urea fertiliser from Russia and requested that Russia consider allocating a quota of 1–2 million tonnes per year at friendly prices. The fertiliser sought is granular urea in sizes of 2.5–5 millimetres.
If approved, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will coordinate with the Russian Ambassador to Thailand to facilitate business matching between private sector players from both countries, with the aim of enabling fertiliser exports from Russia by May 2026.
Suriya added that he had proposed the establishment of a joint working group comprising Thai and Russian representatives to address outstanding issues involving key goods on both sides, as well as to cooperate on academic and scientific matters.
The group would also help facilitate trade flows, with the aim of resolving pending issues within three months.
Patrushev said the Russian side agreed to set up such a working group to help resolve outstanding trade issues and support long-term growth in bilateral trade.
Regarding Thailand’s interest in importing mineral fertilisers, he noted that Russia produces both compound fertilisers and nitrogen-based fertilisers, including urea, and is ready to export urea to Thailand.
He added that companies such as PhosAgro and UralChem have expressed interest, particularly in long-term contracts.
Patrushev said pricing and specific product requirements should be discussed in detail between private sector representatives from both countries. Both sides also agreed that Evgeny Tomikhin, the Russian Ambassador to Thailand, would act as the coordinator on the Russian side.
