Thai commerce minister meets Chinese ambassador to boost agricultural exports

Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun disclosed that on October 15, she held bilateral discussions with Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Zhang Jianwei to enhance economic cooperation and strengthen trade relations between Thailand and China. The meeting focused on supporting and facilitating Thai agricultural exports, including rice, longan, and live cattle, to Chinese markets. The talks marked a significant opportunity as both officials recently assumed their positions.

Suphajee requested that the Chinese government ease import restrictions on Thai longan and accelerate approval for live cattle exports to allow direct trade. She also encouraged China to increase rice purchases from Thailand, emphasising the quality and competitive pricing of Thai rice, which would symbolise a strong gesture for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Regarding trade promotion activities, Suphajee will lead over 60 Thai entrepreneurs to participate in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai from November 4-6. This event will showcase high-quality Thai products and expand export value in China, where Thailand has been honoured as the “Country of Honour” with a dedicated exhibition space to promote national and product branding.

Both sides also celebrated the successful conclusion of ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA 3.0) negotiations, with the signing scheduled at the upcoming ASEAN-China Summit later in October. The Chinese ambassador praised Thailand for its coordinating role in the ACFTA agreement, which contributed to this success.

China has been Thailand’s top trading partner since 2013. In 2024, bilateral trade reached US$115.89 billion, up 10.37% from 2023, with Thai exports at US$35.28 billion and imports at US$80.61 billion.

From January to August 2025, trade between the two countries totalled US$96.25 billion, up 28.07% year-on-year, including exports of fresh, chilled, frozen, and dried fruit, rubber products, computer equipment and components, plastic pellets, cassava products, and natural rubber. Key imports from China included electrical machinery and components, mechanical equipment, home appliances, chemicals, computers and components, and steel products.