A Little Durian Tells the Story of China-Thailand Agricultural Ties - The CIIE Opens a Golden Channel into the Chinese Market for Thai Agricultural Products

A single golden, plump Thai durian, travelling from a Thai orchard all the way to the table of a Chinese household, is not just a sweet taste on the tongue - it is the most vivid testament to China-Thailand economic and trade cooperation.

China has been Thailand's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, while Thailand is also an important trading partner of China within ASEAN. Thai tropical fruits, aquatic products and other goods sell well in the Chinese market, and among them, durians have become a sweet bond linking Chinese and Thai agricultural trade. Since the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in 2018, this national-level opening-up platform has been paving the way for premium Thai agricultural products, enabling distinctive goods like durians and mangosteens to efficiently reach 1.4 billion Chinese consumers. It has driven a leapfrog increase in China-Thailand agricultural trade over the past eight years. The figures speak for themselves: China's agricultural imports from Thailand rose from $5.561 billion in 2018 to $10.821 billion in 2025, with durian exports growing year after year and consistently ranking as a core fruit category in shipments to China.

The CIIE has brought three major dividends to Thai agricultural products - smoother access channels, a vast market, and substantial returns. It has built an efficient platform for durians and other speciality fruits to make global debuts and sell through the full supply chain. Through the CIIE, Thai fruit companies can connect with Chinese buyers without the high cost of market development. Stable export orders directly benefit large numbers of Thai growers, turning harvests from the orchard into tangible economic rewards.

The 9th CIIE will take place in Shanghai from November 5 to 10, 2026. Preparations for the 9th CIIE are now progressing steadily. On July 9, the CIIE Promotional Event and "Export to China" Thailand Special Session will be held in Bangkok, bringing together authoritative voices from Chinese and Thai government and chambers of commerce. It will continue to empower Thai agricultural products to deepen their presence in the Chinese market and further strengthen mutually beneficial agricultural cooperation between the two countries.

Source: China International Import Expo

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