Thailand’s Commerce Ministry hosted a successful business matching event for fruit and agricultural products on Wednesday, culminating in the signing of several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between Thai exporters and foreign buyers. These agreements are expected to boost export sales by an estimated 3.5 billion baht.
Deputy Commerce Minister Napintorn Srisunpang highlighted that 96 Thai fruit export companies participated in the event, alongside 65 international buyers, importers, and distributors from 19 countries and regions, including China, Europe, the United States, Japan, Australia, and several Southeast Asian nations.
The event, which took place both online and in person, facilitated over 500 scheduled appointments between Thai exporters and potential buyers. Minister Srisunpang noted that these trade discussions could lead to order placements worth more than 1.5 billion baht. Among the most popular products were durian, longan, mangosteen, coconut, and various processed fruit items.
A significant highlight of the event was the signing of eight MoUs between Thai exporters and trade partners from countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Indonesia. These agreements are projected to generate over 2 billion baht in sales of fresh fruit.
In addition to the business matching sessions, the event featured a character launch aimed at promoting the identity of Thai fruit, alongside exhibitions showcasing a wide range of Thai agricultural products and cooking demonstrations.
Minister Srisunpang emphasized that the objective of the event was to expand the global market share of Thai fruit exports, boost trade competitiveness, and introduce both fresh and processed fruit, along with other agricultural products, to international buyers ahead of the upcoming harvest season.
This year, Thailand aims to export over 4 million tonnes of fresh and processed fruit, with a total value expected to exceed 300 billion baht, reflecting a 2% year-on-year growth. To further promote Thai fruit, the Department of International Trade Promotion plans to organize over 30 initiatives, including sales promotions in international malls and trade negotiations at global trade fairs.
According to the Trade Policy and Strategy Office, Thailand’s agricultural exports reached a record value of US$28.8 billion (approximately 1.01 trillion baht) in 2024, marking a 7.5% year-on-year increase. This represents the fourth consecutive year of growth, with fresh, chilled, frozen, and dried fruit leading as the top export product, valued at $6.51 billion, or 22.6% of the total agricultural export value. Other notable exports included rice, rubber, chicken, and cassava products.
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