Thai Rice Exports H1 69 Down 18.81% to 3.28 Million Tons

MGR Online•Economy•4d ago

Reader Briefing

Thai rice exports fell 18.81% in the first six months of 2026 amid global price competition and Middle East conflicts.

•Thai rice exports from January to June 2026 totaled 3.28 million tons, a decrease of 18.81%.
•Export value dropped 20.51% to 1,911 million US dollars.
•Export shipments to Iraq ceased in March 2026 due to Middle East conflicts.
•The Department of Foreign Trade aims for a total annual export target of 7 million tons.

Overview

•Thai rice exports for the first 6 months of 2026 (Jan-Jun) were 3.28 million tons, down 18.81%, with a value of 1,911 million US dollars, down 20.51%.
•The decline was caused by high global rice supplies leading to price competition and higher Thai rice prices due to increased energy, transport, and production costs.
•Conflicts in the Middle East caused exports to Iraq, which previously reached 1 million tons, to stop since March 2026.
•The El Niño phenomenon is expected to prompt importing countries to increase rice purchases to mitigate risks and improve food security.
•The Department of Foreign Trade is seeking replacement markets in Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique.
•Government and private sector representatives visited importers in Philippines and Malaysia between August 2-6, 2026.
•The Department of Foreign Trade is negotiating with COFCO to increase Thai rice purchases after an initial 500,000-ton agreement, of which 40,000 tons were delivered in March 2026.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Read on MGR Online (Thai Version)View in Google Translate

Source: MGR Online (Original)

View Original Article

Key Quotes

Arada Fuangthong

"The Department will move forward to build confidence in the potential to be an important producer and exporter of quality rice in the world and the delivery of rice according to contracts in time for the buyers' requirements."

กรมจะเดินหน้าสร้างความเชื่อมั่นในศักยภาพการเป็นแหล่งผลิตและส่งออกข้าวคุณภาพที่สำคัญของโลก และการส่งมอบข้าวตามสัญญาที่ทันต่อความต้องการตามกำหนดเวลาของผู้ซื้อ

Key Entities

Person

Arada Fuangthong(นางอารดา เฟื่องทอง)

Director General of the Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce.

Organization

Department of Foreign Trade(กรมการค้าต่างประเทศ)

The government agency responsible for monitoring and promoting Thai rice exports.

Ministry of Commerce(กระทรวงพาณิชย์)ℹ️

The parent ministry of the Department of Foreign Trade.

COFCOℹ️

A Chinese state-owned enterprise negotiating the purchase and delivery of Thai rice.

Place

Iraq(อิรัก)ℹ️

A key export market where Thai rice shipments stopped in March 2026.

Malaysia(มาเลเซีย)ℹ️

An Asian market targeted for rice exports and visited by representatives in August 2026.

Philippines(ฟิลิปปินส์)ℹ️

An Asian market targeted for rice exports and visited by representatives in August 2026.

South Africa(แอฟริกาใต้)ℹ️

An African market targeted for rice exports to replace the Iraqi market.

Democratic Republic of the Congo(สาธารณรัฐประชาธิปไตยคองโก)ℹ️

An African market targeted for rice exports to replace the Iraqi market.

Mozambique(โมซัมบิก)ℹ️

An African market targeted for rice exports to replace the Iraqi market.

China(จีน)ℹ️

The country where the state-owned enterprise COFCO is located.