Malaysia to finish safety checks on five Thai shrimp species in 30 days
Both sides will seek to finish residue and sanitary checks within 30 days as Thailand also prepares to expand beef and pork exports to Malaysia.
- Thailand and Malaysia have agreed to complete residue and sanitary checks on Thai shrimp within 30 days to resolve a temporary import suspension.
- The suspension by Malaysia affected five shrimp species and was part of new domestic measures to oversee agricultural import standards.
- The accelerated checks are intended to allow shrimp trade between the two countries to return to normal.
- The agreement also included Malaysia's pledge to help facilitate future exports of Thai beef and pork products.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has succeeded in bilateral negotiations with the Malaysian government to resolve Malaysia’s temporary suspension of imports of five shrimp species from Thailand under measures to regulate domestic agricultural products.
Both sides agreed to accelerate residue and sanitary checks so they are completed within 30 days, while facilitating Thailand’s preparations to export more beef and pork products in the future.
Suriya Juangroongruangkit, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, said after travelling to Malaysia for talks with Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, Malaysia’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, that the meeting discussed Malaysia’s temporary control measures on five shrimp species from Thailand.
The two sides held talks and agreed to work together to speed up residue and sanitary checks (SPS), so imports and exports can return to normal.
It is expected that, if the process is accelerated in line with the discussions, the checks should take no more than another 30 days.
The talks also covered Thailand’s planned exports of beef products and pork products to Malaysia, with Malaysia pledging to help speed up the process so Thailand can export beef and pork products to Malaysia as soon as possible.
On Malaysia’s reason for issuing the control announcement on shrimp from Thailand, the Malaysian side said the country was introducing new measures to oversee standards for imports and exports of agricultural products within Malaysia, and that the measures had already begun.
However, following these talks, it is believed Thailand will be able to export shrimp to Malaysia as normal from now on.
