The Ministry of Commerce is encouraging China to prolong work hours and increase customs lanes to streamline the export procedure during the peak fruit harvest period.
Thailand’s Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan stated that he had talks about enhancing trade and investment collaboration between Thailand and China with Shi Yugang, who is the deputy secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee of the Communist Party of China, on Wednesday.
He highlighted the significance of enhancing the effectiveness of the Mohan border crossing along the Laos-Yunnan corridor. He suggested longer operating times and extra customs lanes to handle the increased volume during the peak exporting period.
He mentioned that random checks for contamination with Basic Yellow 2 dye during durian exports might cause delays.
To address this issue, Thailand has increased pre-export inspections and is asking China to loosen its inspection standards during the peak harvesting period from April to May, aiming to maintain the quality of Thai durians.
Thailand anticipates a 37% rise in durian output compared to last year, with projections reaching approximately 1.76 million tons. The minister emphasized the importance of exporting these goods to China.
Moreover, he encouraged China to think about increasing imports of various agricultural goods such as longans, mangosteens, dates, and salaks.
He asked for Beijing to speed up the acquisition of 280,000 tons of rice according to previous arrangements, mentioning that Thailand is undergoing a substantial rice harvest.
In addition, he advocated for increasing the export of live cattle and frozen meats through the Guanlei port to create more opportunities for Thai farmers.
Mr. Shi informed Mr. Pichai that China was willing to take into account Thailand’s requests and showed readiness to back trade efforts, notably by improving transport connections using the China-Laos railway and facilitating cross-border trade via the Guanlei port.
He promoted cooperation among Thailand, China, Laos, and Myanmar for enhancing transport facilities, and invited Thai delegates to an important exhibition in Kunming this June aimed at strengthening commercial ties.
At present, the trade volume between Thailand and Yunnan stands at $1.85 billion, featuring principal exports such as rubber goods; raw latex; computing devices, machinery, and parts; various fruits—fresh, refrigerated, frozen, and dried—and resin pellets.
According to the Department of International Trade Promotion, Thailand imports items such as electrical machinery and parts, mechanical devices and components, chemicals, household appliances, along with computers, related equipment, and components from Yunnan.
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