The Ministry of Commerce has kicked off the shipment of the first batch of 40,000 tons of Thai rice to China under a government-to-government (G to G) contract, emphasizing quality control at every stage to build confidence in the Chinese market while supporting off-season rice production and strengthening the stability of Thai rice prices.
Mrs. Arada Fuengthong, Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade, revealed that on 9 March 2026, she visited Asia Golden Rice Co., Ltd. in Chachoengsao Province to monitor the kickoff of the first shipment of 40,000 tons of Thai rice to COFCO Corporation of the People's Republic of China under the Thai-Chinese government-to-government (G to G) rice sales contract. This delivery is the ninth installment under the contract and the first under the 500,000-ton Thai-Chinese rice deal. Asia Golden Rice Co., Ltd. is among the members of the Thai Rice Exporters Association allocated to deliver the first batch, along with more than 20 other companies of various sizes. On this occasion, the Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade monitored the quality inspection process before export, including quality selection, product standard verification, packaging, and export preparation, to ensure compliance with the contract terms and Chinese standards.
This field visit followed directives from Mrs. Supachai Suthamphan, Minister of Commerce, who assigned the task to expedite rice deliveries according to schedule and to oversee the readiness of product preparation, quality control, and delivery processes. This aims to assure that the Thai rice delivered to the Chinese side meets quality standards and can be exported on time. The first shipment is expected to be completed by March 2026. Additionally, this rice export supports the absorption of off-season rice production entering the market currently and promotes the expansion of Thai rice exports, which will positively affect the long-term stability and price levels of rice domestically.
Mrs. Arada said, “This first rice delivery marks a significant step in agricultural trade cooperation between Thailand and China, reflecting the strong relationship between the two countries and presenting an important opportunity to boost Thai rice exports abroad. The cooperation under the Thai-Chinese G to G contract plays a vital role in stabilizing the Thai rice market, managing domestic rice volumes, reducing surplus, and enhancing the competitiveness of Thai rice globally. The Department of Foreign Trade will continue coordinating with the Chinese side to ensure the remaining rice deliveries totaling 500,000 tons proceed according to plan within 2026.”
Statistics on Thai rice exports in 2025 show that Thailand exported 654,770 tons of rice to China, an increase of 48.98 percent from 439,500 tons in 2024. In January 2026, Thailand exported 20,544 tons, up 84.47 percent from 11,137 tons in the same period in 2025. The majority of exports consisted of glutinous rice (37.69 percent), followed byThai jasmine rice,(27 percent) and white rice (25.31 percent).
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