Competitive Trade Analysis – Agri-food and seafood trends in Thailand

Trade overview

Thailand is a net exporter of agri-food and seafood products. In 2019, Thailand's agri-food and seafood trade surplus was Can$25.8 billion with imports valued at Can$22.4 billion, and Can$48.2 billion in exports. Thailand's agri-food and seafood imports increased at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2015 to 2019. In 2019, Canada had an agri-food and seafood trade deficit of Can$578.5 million with Thailand.

Thailand's top agri-food and seafood imports in 2019 were frozen fish (11.6%), soy beans (7.5%), oilcake (7.4%), wheat (4.7%) and food preparations, n.e.s. (nowhere else specified) (4.1%) in 2019. Key supplying countries were China, the United States (US), Brazil, Vietnam and Australia. Canada ranks twenty-first among 195 supplying countries to Thailand, and has seen some fluctuation in market share (from 1.4% market share in 2015 to 1.3% market share in 2019).

The top five agri-food and seafood suppliers to Thailand accounted for Can$9.8 billion or 43.9% of the total imports in 2019. Canada has been a measureable supplier of agri-food and seafood to Thailand over the past several years. Imports from Canada decreased slightly by 0.1% between 2015 and 2019 as market shares declined from 1.4% in 2015 to 1.3% in 2019.

In 2019, Canada ranked 4th for wheat and 3rd for soy bean import supply into Thailand among global trade partners, supplying Thailand with Can$150.3 million worth of these two commodities. Other top imports of Canadian agri-food and seafood products to Thailand include crustaceans, milk and cream, potatoes, frozen fish and oilcake.

Frozen fish was Thailand's top agri-food and seafood commodity import from the world in 2019, with a value of Can$2.6 billion or 11.6% of overall agri-food and seafood imports. Canada supplied Can$5.9 million of frozen fish or 0.2% market share in 2019, an increase in compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.6% from Can$5.3 million in 2015. Thailand's second largest agri-food and seafood commodity imported from the world was soy beans with values of Can$1.7 billion in 2019, to which Canada supplied Can$36.9 million in 2019. Imports of fish, fresh or chilled recorded the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35.2% among the top 15 categories from 2015 to 2019, followed by dried vegetables not further prepared (34.7%), crustaceans, fit for human consumption (16.6%) and molluscs, fit for human consumption (15.5%) over the same period.

Top 15 agri-food and seafood imports

1. Frozen fish (HS 0303)

Canada was Thailand's thirty-eighth largest supplier of frozen fish with imports valued at Can$5.9 million in 2019. Imports of frozen fish from Thailand's primary suppliers, Taiwan and China, increased by 11.1% and 9.9% respectively, from 2015 to 2019.

2. Soy beans (HS 1201)

Canada was Thailand's 3rd largest supplier of soy beans with imports valued at Can$36.9 million in 2019. Imports of soy beans from Thailand's primary suppliers, Brazil decreased by 3.3%, while the United States increased by 24.3% from 2015 to 2019.

3. Oilcake and other solid residues (HS 2304)

Canada was the seventeenth largest global supplier, after Belgium and Italy, of oilcake and other solid residues supplying Can$142.6 million in 2019, a decrease in CAGR of 4.2% from Can$169.1 million in 2015. Canada, however, did not supply Thailand with oilcake and other solid residues from 2014 to 2019. Imports of oilcake and other solid residues from Thailand's primary suppliers, Brazil and Argentina, increased by 13.7% and 1.1% respectively, from 2015 to 2019.

4. Wheat (HS 1001)

Canada was Thailand's fourth largest supplier of wheat with imports valued at Can$113.3 million in 2019. Imports of wheat from Thailand's primary suppliers, Ukraine and the United States, decreased by 5.5% and 0.9% respectively, from 2015 to 2019.

5. Food preparations, n.e.s. (HS 2106)

Canada was Thailand's twenty-sixth largest supplier of food preparations, nowhere else specified (n.e.s.), with imports valued at Can$1.4 million in 2019. Imports of food preparations, n.e.s .from Thailand's primary suppliers, the United States and Singapore, increased by 8.9% and 12.6% respectively, from 2015 to 2019.

6. Molluscs, fit for human consumption (HS 0307)

Canada was Thailand's twenty-first largest supplier of molluscs, fit for human consumption with imports valued at Can$2.2 million in 2019. Imports of molluscs from Thailand's primary suppliers, China decreased by 1.4%, while India, increased by 48.3%, from 2015 to 2019.

7. Milk and cream (HS 0402)

Canada was Thailand's tenth largest supplier of milk and cream with imports valued at Can$7.0 million in 2019. Imports of milk and cream from Thailand's primary suppliers, New Zealand, increased by 2.9% while Australia decreased by 5.9%, from 2015 to 2019.

8. Dried vegetables not further prepared (HS 0712)

Canada was Thailand's twenty-second largest supplier of dried vegetables not further prepared with imports valued at Can$25.0 thousand in 2019. Imports of dried vegetables not further prepared from Thailand's primary suppliers, China and the United States, increased by 36.1% and 3.6% respectively, from 2015 to 2019.

9. Fish, fresh or chilled (HS 0302)

Canada was Thailand's twelfth largest supplier of fish, fresh or chilled with imports valued at Can$644.9 thousand in 2019. Imports of fish, fresh or chilled from Thailand's primary suppliers, Norway and Myanmar, increased by 43.4% and 70.5% respectively, from 2015 to 2019.

10. Malt extract (HS 1901)

Canada was Thailand's thirtieth largest supplier of malt extract with imports valued at Can$24.0 thousand in 2019. Imports of malt extract from Thailand's primary suppliers, Singapore and New Zealand, increased by 3.8% and 19.8% respectively, from 2015 to 2019.

11. Roots and tubers (HS 0714)

Canada was the forty-fourth largest global supplier, after Sri Lanka and Tonga, of roots and tubers supplying Can$2.4 million in 2019, a decrease in CAGR of 7.2% from Can$3.2 million in 2015. Canada only supplied Thailand with roots and tubers valued at Can$430 in 2016. Imports of roots and tubers from Thailand's primary suppliers, Cambodia and Lao, increased by 2.8 % and 21.6% respectively, from 2015 to 2019.

12. Fish fillets and other fish meat (HS 0304)

Canada was Thailand's thirtieth largest supplier of fish fillets and other fish meat with imports valued at Can$107.3 thousand in 2019. Imports of fish fillets and other fish meat from Thailand's primary suppliers, Vietnam and the United States, increased by 9.5% and 13.7% respectively, from 2015 to 2019.

13. Undenatured ethyl alcohol, strength of < 80% (HS 2208)

Canada was Thailand's eighteenth largest supplier of undenatured ethyl alcohol, strength of < 80%, with imports valued at Can$462.6 thousand in 2019. Imports of undenatured ethyl alcohol, strength of < 80%, from Thailand's primary suppliers, the United Kingdom (U.K) decreased by 5.9%, while France increased by 7.4% from 2015 to 2019.

14. Apples, pears and quinces, fresh (HS 0808)

Canada was Thailand's eleventh largest supplier of apples, pears and quinces, fresh, with imports valued at Can$23.9 thousand in 2019. Imports of apples, pears and quinces, fresh, from Thailand's primary suppliers, China decreased by 1.7%, while New Zealand increased by 3.0% from 2015 to 2019.

15. Crustaceans, fit for human consumption (HS 0306)

Canada was Thailand's eighth largest supplier of crustaceans, fit for human consumption, with imports valued at Can$10.8 million in 2019. Imports of crustaceans, fit for human consumption, from Thailand's primary suppliers, Argentina and Bahrain, increased by 33.5% and 155.3% respectively, from 2015 to 2019.

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Competitive Trade Analysis – Agri-food and seafood trends in Thailand
Global Analysis Report

Prepared by: Laurie Bernardi, International Market Research Analyst

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